Sword Art Online - A Forbidden Love
by Dragondemolition
Summary: - AU fanfic - Love is a funny thing. It can spark to life between the most unusual of couples, crumble to dust before the challenges it faces, or fight through the strongest opposition. With her being a refined rich girl, and him being a bum from the street, they each try to cope with society's norms about what love is supposed to be.
1. Chapter 1 - Tough Times

_Sword Art Online_

 _A Forbidden Love_

 _Chapter 1 – Tough Times_

He was hungry. So bitterly hungry. The last couple of months had been a drag for him and his family. The taxes had been hard to pay for years, but he never expected it to get this bad.

He had been forced to work his ass off ever since he was little to help his aunt pay the bill. His aunt had begged for him not to, saying that it wasn't a life for a little boy to do such hard work. But he knew, sure as hell, that they would be put on the streets if he didn't. And he would rather sacrifice himself than the welfare of his family.

His sister, worked as a fulltime maid for this rich family in the other end of Tokyo, and luckily he didn't have to worry about her, since she had a bedroom at their mansion. But, ever since his aunt had been fired from her job, further lowering the income, he had barely been able to keep the family afloat for half a year.

And now, his job money was no longer enough. He had turned 16 by now, and even though he was still working overtime most nights, his money had no longer been enough to buy food, clothes, and at the same time paying the rent in his and his aunt´s small, two room apartment.

To top it all off, his aunt had fallen into a depression, and started light drinking to pass her time at home, so that was more money out the window, and eventually even more pressure on top of the young man's shoulders.

He had had enough. His body could no longer take it anymore. He found it normal to be working at a small construction site by his age by now, but the hard work was really straining his body.

On top of that, the company was going through hard times with rivalling companies ruling the market, and they were forced to fire their employees, and pay the workers that was left with only minimum wage. The only reason he hadn't been fired too, was that he had personally befriended his boss, after helping him home after almost being mauled by a group of gang members.

But he, and even his normally drunk aunt, could feel how straining the work was on his body. He would often arrive home with aching bones and frail body, and lately he had often taken days off because he had fallen sick, still forced to take care of himself because his aunt physically couldn't.

Last month he had fallen so ill with a high fever that he was forced to stay on the lousy sofa in the apartment for several weeks, and that had dealt a big hit to his budget, causing him to no longer be able to pay the rent. As a result, he and his aunt had been thrown on the street.

He and his aunt had been working together to find a decent place to camp out while they were on the street, and they had actually found a pretty isolated place under an overarching highway in busy Tokyo, providing decent shelter from the harsh rain and snow of winter whenever that may come.

The backside of the coin was that there was so much vehicular noise from the overarching highway, that they barely caught any sleep at night, so he was pretty much forced to take a quick nap whenever the chance bid itself.

Now he was sitting on the corner of a street, hopelessly begging passing strangers if they could spare any change. He looked down into his thin paper cup. Only about 50 yen by now. That wasn't even enough to buy a lump of bread. He sighed silently. At least it wasn't winter yet, and he was sweating like a pig in the hot summer air.

At least he had only spent an hour here. This place was normally a good place to start if you wanted to beg for money, and he hadn't been here for very long. He could sooth his aching body and emotions with the thought that it would go better if he stayed here for a couple more hours.

Around lunchtime he would normally have gained enough money to buy a little bread for him and his aunt, and in the last couple of days they had made a tradition of taking a small walk in the park, and sit on a bench on the bank of the lake.

If they could afford it they would throw small amounts of their precious bread to some of the ducks, but sadly, that wasn't very often. So poor that they couldn't even feed the ducks. The mere thought shook the young man to the core.

When he would look at himself in the reflection of the water of the lake, he would often question himself how it had gone so wrong.

He looked at himself a bit more closer. It almost looked like he had aged several years even though they had only been on the street for a week or so. He had dark circles under his hollow and empty eyes, and his expression would never show anything else than tiredness, exhaustion and sadness.

His cheeks seemed incredibly red. He touched his forehead. Even he could feel how his own body was burning up. Maybe he was catching a summer cold. He was getting frustrated over it. He didn't have time or income enough to get sick. The fact that his aunt was sick as well was more than enough reason for him to keep begging.

He sighed softly to himself again and threw the last stone he had out into the lake. He took a glance over at his aunt. She also looked like she had aged significantly the last week. She was hungry and drained of energy, and it was clear to see. She sighed a bit and looked down at the ground with a tired expression, clearly exhausted.

He smiled a little and went over to sit by her side. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and hugged her close, told her everything was going to be alright. As she felt his warm embrace around her she widened her eyes, but her expression softened as she leaned into him, feeling slightly safer and less nervous with his arms around her.

As she had gloated in her own sadness, she had momentarily forgotten that there was still a tiny light of hope left. That light resided in her young nephew, who was the only one who was capable of working and making money out of the two of them

He was her only defense from the tough outside world right now. She felt like crap for making him work his butt off day after day, but she didn't have a choice right now. She was sick and incapable. He was the only one she could lean herself against right now. He was her only hope.

He sighed silently and let go of his aunt's shoulders. He smiled a bit at her before standing up, saying he needed to get back to work, so he would follow her back home to the "Grounds" As they liked to call it. She nodded slowly, she didn't say anything, but simply stood up and let the young man wrap a protective arm around her shoulders as he led her home.

As they arrived at their shelter, he smiled silently as he tugged her into the worn down, but still warm sleeping bag they had found earlier in the week. He smiled and kissed her forehead, telling her he would be back in a couple of hours, before taking off.

As he walked down the busy street, he was surprised how well people seemed to live. A young couple, a few meters further down the street from him, was holding a giggling and smiling little girl between them. They were happily swinging the little girl between them in their arms, much to the girl's delight.

She smiled widely and yelled as almost all of Tokyo could hear her, but for her, it didn't matter. She was having fun with her parents and that's what mattered.

The young man came to think how the chances for him to have such a future was slim. The last two years he had dreamt about meeting a cute girl and find some place of his own. He had matured very quickly, and those adult thoughts had surprised even him.

But now, as he watched the young couple delightfully play with their daughter, he knew that, that future would probably never come to pass. Who would want to be with a homeless bum like himself anyway? His future would only consist of that desperate battle for survival. Working, working, and more working.

He grew sad just from the thought. Is that really how his future looked like? How come he had become one of those people with no future? What had he done to the world to deserve this? He didn't believe in a god, but in these rough times he had almost no other form of hope left. If there truly was a god, what had he done to make god give him such a destiny?

What was that old saying people used to tell him? Good things, come to those who wait? Well, he had waited for more than 2 years to be taken out of this unfair lifestyle, but hope or rescue had never arrived. Even that small hope had begun to slowly die out.

Before he even realized it, he had somehow made it past the young couple and their daughter. The daughter had noticed how he walked, and she grew worried of him. She pulled herself free of her parent's hands and jogged up to him, nervously picking at his pant leg.

As the young man felt this his eyes widened softly in surprise. Being a lot taller than the little girl, he looked down at girl with mild surprise clearly visible in his eyes. Even the young girl, with her current child-like innocence, could tell that something was wrong.

"Uhm mister?" she asked softly as she looked up at him "Are you ok?"

The young man didn't know what to say. Normally, people would walk in a big circle around him and people like him. He didn't blame people however. Who knew what those people could do to you if they found an opportunity?

But this girl actually showed him some concern. These feelings touched him in some way, and he couldn't help but smile down at the little girl.

"Yeah, I'm fine princess" He mumbled as he ruffled her hair "You should worry more about yourself and your family"

"But, mister" The young girl persuaded the topic "You seem to be hurt. Are you sure you're ok?"

"Yes princess" He mumbled as the young girl's parents reached them "I'm just fine"

The parents looked at the girl with worried expressions as they pulled her close to them, politely apologizing to the young man.

"I'm so sorry" The woman started "She kind of just ran off, and—"

The young man smiled and shook his head "No, it's ok. I enjoyed the company"

He mumbled this as he sent the little girl a smile, which she gladly sent back.

"But, she does have a point" The man now continued "You don't seem all healthy sir. Are you sure you're ok?"

"W-well, I'm fine, really!"

He mumbled lowly in an embarrassed tone. He didn't want to become a problem for these people to bear.

"Come on, you seem exhausted" The older man persuaded "Your clothes are barely clothes and you seem sick. Come home with us for a moment, we insist"

The young man looked at the smiling couple and their daughter. He was surprised, but even so, happy beyond belief. A prober meal and a place to stay, at least for the day, was within his reach. But these people didn't even know about his drunk aunt, and he didn't know how they would react when he told them, much less how he would tell them in the first place.

"U-Uhm, it sounds nice, but…"

"Come on! You have to!" the little girl whined as she puffed out her cheeks "I won't leave you alone until you say yes!"

"W-Well that's not the problem here!"

"Huh? What is then?" The parents asked in unison.

"W-Well, you see…"

He then continued to pass on his and his aunt's story. He told them everything as they walked, right from how he had been working for years to pay the bill, to how they had been thrown out of their apartment complex about a month back.

The family of three slowly fell silent as they walked and talked, listening intensely to the young man's words. Even the normally energetic girl had fallen quiet under the heavy topic.

As he finished telling them his story, they had all fallen completely silent. The little girl was the first one to talk, unsurprisingly.

"Woah… It seems you've had it rough mister"

The young man nodded and smiled tiredly as he ruffled the little girl's hair.

"Yeah, I know. But we'll make it through, somehow"

"Hey! I just had a great idea! Mom, dad, can I talk with you guys for a moment?"

The girl pulled her parents away from the young man by the hands and began excitedly whispering something to them.

After a couple of nervous waiting, the young man looked at the three people smiled as they went back to him.

"Hey, young man" The father started, and the boy looked up at him.

"Y-Yes sir?"

He gulped silently. He was nervous what they were going to propose to him, and he didn't know why.

"What's your name buddy?"

"U-Uhm, Kirigaya sir" He tried silently "Kazuto Kirigaya"

"Well, Kirigaya-kun" The older man smiled welcomingly "What would you say if I could offer you a job?"

He widened his eyes a bit. He almost couldn't believe it, and he was sure that his ears had tricked him somehow.

"C-Come again sir?"

"A job young man. And a warm bed to sleep in. As long as you work for us properly, and behave yourself, you might have a place to stay in the night"

He gasped slightly and took a nervous step backwards. Did he hear that correctly? Was he actually offered a place to stay?! All of his worries would disappear into thin air. He would no longer have to worry about getting food on the table, or keep his last bit of family alive. He would get a chance to actually live the life he had so clearly deserved by now.

"A-Are you serious!?" He yelled, for a minute forgetting to be polite.

"Of course we're serious" The older man said with a warm smile "Me and my wife own a mansion not very far from here. You and your aunt can live and work there if you want"

He could feel how his eyes teared and welled up in joy. He put his hands over his mouth in disbelief, feeling simply blessed by god by this sudden opportunity. He could no longer take his overwhelming feelings and collapsed into tears, with heavy drops of water silently hitting the ground like turning on water valves.

"Thank you… Thank you so much…"

He was so overwhelmed that his voice was no longer than a silent whisper at this point.

"No problem my boy. Come on, the car is waiting"

The older people wrapped protective arms around the young boy's frail shoulders, and he nodded silently as he let them lead him over to their car.

"W-We have to find my aunt then. We live somewhere under the local highway"

"Alright my boy, we'll find her in a moment"

~3rd person POV, The Yuuki Residence~

"Urgh, I can't believe you sometimes mother!"

The young woman stomped in the ground in her heels, looking at her mother furiously. Her mother, had once again, promised a man she didn't even know, that her daughter would attend a dinner party with him and his family.

She hated when her mother tried to control her. All for the sake of money. Cause that was what everything was running up in, in the end. Money. Her mother had always been concerned for her family's financial problems, but the young woman had never expected her mother would go so far as to lent her daughter out to suiters with better financial background than her own, just to save her own skin.

She had promptly turned every suitor down the moment they had even approached the subject of marriage, and she was planning to do the same with this new suitor. However long it may take, and no matter who she had to turn down, she had vowed to find her own suitor, a man she could actually love.

She was about to stomp away from her mother and back to her own bedroom, when the squeak of the main doors being opened, and footsteps walking inside. As she and her mother had been fighting on the looping stairwell leading upwards to the second floor just near the entranceway, she had a full eagle eyed view of who was stepping inside.

She was expecting her sister and father to come home from their shopping trip, but it was not only those two. A young boy, maybe a year or two younger than her, also stepped inside, along with a woman reaching the age around her own parents.

Judging from their clothes it was neither the suitor or his family, or anyone her family knew in general. They looked like they had been homeless, and the mere thought of such a life disgusted the woman. The young man caught her eye though, in a way she had never experienced before. He seemed strong, maybe not in the literal sense, but he seemed to have a strong gaze.

When he stepped inside he marveled at the tall ceilings and marble floors, and as he marveled his eyes locked with the woman's. She felt a strong urge to look away, but also felt how she couldn't. He didn't remove his gaze either as they continued to stare at each other for the longest time.

"Asuna!"

She was ripped out of her trance as her little sister called from the foyer, and she smiled a bit and lifted up in her dress she descended the staircase to greet her.

She grabbed her in her arms and lifted her up happily, looking over at her father and the two unknown people with a questioning expression.

"Who are they, father?" She asked with a gentle, ladylike tone "And what business do they have to attend here?"

Her father opened his mouth to answer, but her sister cut him off.

"That is Kazuto, and Ms. Midori" She said cheerfully "They'll be living with us for a while!"

Asuna widened her eyes in disbelief and stared at her dad, who only send a bright and cheerful grin in return.


	2. Chapter 2 - Robes of Silk

_Sword Art Online_

 _A Forbidden Love_

 _Chapter 2 – Robes of Silk_

The young man stared in awe as he was transported to the extra guest rooms on the second floor in the huge mansion. Never in his life had he experienced anything quite like it. He had of course seen houses as big as these before, and he knew that they existed, but he had never physically visited one, nor did he think he would ever get the chance.

His jaw hanged open as he and Mr. Yuuki walked through the halls of the second floor. He thought he might have seen more than 30 rooms on the way to the guest rooms. He caught himself thinking that if he did indeed get a job here, he would need a map just to get back to his own room.

When Mr. Yuuki finally stopped in front of one of the beautifully carved wooden doors, Kazuto softly smiled to him.

"This is your room" Mr. Yuuki said as he gestured towards the door with his hands "Your aunt's room is a bit further down this hallway"

"Thank you so much for everything you've done Mr. Yuuki" Kazuto said humbly as he bowed deep for the older man.

"It was nothing my boy" Mr. Yuuki said with a hearty laugh "The world is cruel nowadays. It is important to help each other in the time of need"

Kazuto was quite surprised by his way of thinking, though it was pleasantly surprised. Not many people thought that way anymore, and it was nice to hear that mindset come from someone else than himself for a change.

"Now, as for your job," Mr. Yuuki said with a scratch of the back of his neck "You'll mainly act as a servant in the house, and do basic chores, like clean the furniture, cook food with the maids, stuff like that"

Kazuto nodded approvingly as he listened intently to Mr. Yuuki's explanation. The next thing on Mr. Yuuki's mind surprised the young man however.

"There is one thing however," he rubbed his shoulder humbly as he spoke "And this is in no way to offend you, but I want you to stay clear of my daughter, Asuna"

Kazuto frowned a little in confusion, having no idea why he would need to stay away from that beautiful woman he had seen stand on the grand staircase a few minutes earlier. He had to admit to himself that he had found her graze beautiful, but he hadn't had any thoughts in that kind of direction at all.

"How come sir? Is there a problem or something?"

"No, no, nothing like that" The man broke into a hearty laughter "Her mother is very strict with her, and is trying to find her a fitting husband that will be able to take care of her"

"B-But what does that have to do with me?" Kazuto asked, a little nervous for which direction this conversation was going already.

"Well, behind the grime and dirt," Mr. Yuuki said in a joking attitude "you are a handsome young man. If Asuna were to fall for you, despite the worlds of differences between you, we would have a major conflict"

Kazuto blushed a bit at the mere mention of that possibility. A woman of her grace and beauty, ever falling in love with a bum like him? Just the thought seemed preposterous to the young man. Not only were their physical appearances way too different for that to be an option, but just as Mr. Yuuki had said, there was whole worlds to differentiate the two of them.

Asuna came from a wealthy home, and lifestyle. She was used to wearing graceful dresses and high heels, expensive jewelry and make-up. She had probably never had a job before, and if she would have one in the future, it would probably not be for the economy's sake, but for her own personal reasons, because for a family to own such a huge mansion, would only mean they didn't have to work ever again.

Kazuto on the other end, had always had to work his butt off for his family's safety. He had barely had money to put on any clothes, much less have any of the luxuries Asuna probably had been used to have every day. He had been used to fight for his own survival, the world never being gentle and nice to him or his family in any way.

It was true, there was worlds between them. How would any of them ever develop feelings for the other?

"You don't have to worry about that sir" Kazuto said with another respectful bow "not only is your family matters none of my business, but there is no possibility of any of that sort of thing happening between us"

"Good" Mr. Yuuki said with a nod "Now, let me show you your room"

He opened the door and Kazuto smiled a little as he followed him inside. Behind the door was a decently big room, more than enough for a teenager like Kazuto to sprout and grow. He himself had never been used to something as big as this, the economy of his family never allowing him something as basic as his own room.

He smiled widely as he stepped inside the mostly empty bedroom. A simple double bed was standing in the far right corner by a wide window, which was looking out to the marvelous garden behind the mansion.

In the closest left corner a wardrobe was standing, and as Kazuto opened it up he marveled as he found several sets of suits, some for when he was working as a servant, some for when he was free, all being made by some of the most expensive materials he had ever seen.

There was even a Yukata, which is a kimono for males, in the left side of the wardrobe for when the festival was in town, or a special event had occurred.

He looked over at Mr. Yuuki as if he was completely out of his mind, but he only sent a smile in return. Kazuto looked back at the wardrobe with a completely ballistic expression. He had never owned so many clothes, or clothes so expensive.

"W-What is all of this…?"

"The suits are for work, everything else is casual clothing" Mr. Yuuki said with a smile "We treat our servants and workers with respect and kindness. Something like this is only a small thing"

"T-Thank you so much Mr. Yuuki" Kazuto mumbled, stunned into silence.

Mr. Yuuki chuckled softly and crossed his arms over his chest wholeheartedly after clapping the young boy on both his shoulders.

"Please, call me Shouzou" He said with a laugh "Put on your Yukata, and meet me in the entranceway. We're having dinner to celebrate our new coworkers"

He smiled and waved friendly before walking downstairs, leaving Kazuto to do his business. Kazuto sighed ecstatically as he held the silk Yukata between his hands, feeling the smooth fabric between his fingers.

"What the hell happened?" he mumbled unknowingly to himself "In half an hour, I went from bum at the street, to being a servant at a millionaire mansion"

He stared around at his new room dumbfounded, sitting down on the edge of the comfy bed to try and catch his breath.

"You seem to be getting comfortable"

Kazuto was a little startled by the feminine voice coming from the door, and he quickly looked up to find the woman he had seen on the grand staircase earlier, Asuna. He widened his eyes a bit in his startle but coughed a bit to regain his calm.

"Oh uhm, yeah, it's a pretty nice room" He said, it being the best response he could come up with "you're Asuna right? Your father told me about you"

"And you're Kazuto right?" Asuna answered with a smile "I've been talking with your aunt and I've heard a lot of interesting things about you"

Kazuto blushed softly at her words and smiled shyly as he stood up from his bed, lying the Yukata on the bed edge to hold out a hand for Asuna to shake.

"Yes, I'm Kazuto" he said with a smile as the two of them shook hands "I will be you and your family's servant from now on"

"Your aunt told me you are used to physical labor," Asuna said with a sweet smile "so you shouldn't be too worried about how the work here will strain you"

"That sounds good miss" Kazuto said with a bow, already getting into his role as servant "Not to be rude or anything, but did you want something from me since you came here?"

"Nothing in particular," Asuna said as she closed her hands together behind her back "Just wanted to welcome the new people"

"I feel really welcome here" He said with another polite bow "Thank you very much for allowing us to stay"

"Oh please, that is not my decision at all" Asuna said with a giggle "But it's good you feel comfortable here. Be sure to change and come downstairs, okay?"

And with that, the graceful woman twirled around and left the room as quick as she had appeared, her beautiful dress trailing behind her as she walked down the hall. Kazuto looked out of the door and followed the beautiful woman with his eyes, wondering whether or not he should be talking to her due to her father's request.

He retreated back into his room and sighed silently as he found a towel in the wardrobe, and went for the bathroom. After a quick shower he collected his old clothes and pulled on a t-shirt and jeans, before pulling on the brand new Yukata.

"Wow… It's so light…" he mumbled surprised as he felt the soft silk run across his skin "I've never felt like that before…"

After he had gawked at his new clothes in the mirror for a while, he decided to head downstairs. After almost getting lost on the second floor he finally reached the grand staircase, where the whole family was assembled.

Besides Shouzou, Asuna, and her little sister, there was also a woman and an older gentleman there. Kazuto guessed that the woman was Asuna's mother and Shouzou's wife, judging from the big diamond ring on her finger.

She seemed like a strict woman, just from her outer appearance alone. Black high heels and an expensive looking blue business suit, accompanied with a big necklace of white pearls around her neck. Her hair was put into a tight bun.

Even her facial expression seemed to say "Strict", but as she saw the young man traversing the steps of the staircase, her facial expression softened into a polite and warm smile.

"Oh! The man of the hour has arrived!" Shouzou said with a smile and a hearty laugh "Come on down and say hi to my wife and son!"

Kazuto smiled shyly as he reached the last step, and politely walked over and shook each of their hands.

"It's good to meet you" He said as he shook the hand of Asuna's older brother "I'm Kazuto"

"Good to meet you too buddy" The older man said with a smirk "I'm Kouichirou"

The younger lass nodded before turning to Asuna's mother and bowing for her.

"Thanks for letting me stay"

"No problem young man" The woman said with a smile and a nod "Though I was quite surprised when he took you home with him, I think his reasons are with good intent, so I will go along with it"

"Thank you so much" He mumbled again as he bowed.

"And please, don't be too formal with me okay?" The woman said with a smile "I might be strict, but I believe in a closer bond with my employees"

"Yes ma'am" Kazuto said as he bend back up "What should I call you by then?"

"Please, just call me Kyouko"

"Yes, ma'am.. I mean, Kyouko, I mean..!"

"Don't worry my boy, you'll get a hang of it eventually" Shouzou said with a laugh "Now, you and your aunt must come with us. Dinner is served"

Kazuto blushed from embarrassment as he followed Shouzou, Kyouko and the others to the dining hall. As they reached the dining hall, Kazuto's jaws almost unhinged and fell to the floor a second time that day, as he saw the most wondrous sight of a dinner table he had seen in forever.

He looked up and his eyes widened in shock at the beautiful dining hall, three huge chandeliers hanging in the ceiling, their glass crystals shining brilliantly from the light of the tall wax candles sitting in perfect place.

The whole room was huge, a golden and shining hue to it as they each settled into their own seat. Kazuto found it even more unbelievable how much food was on the table, which was probably even more than he had had all year.

A wide array of dishes sat on top of the well crafted wooden dining table. Turkey, fried potatoes, fries, hamburger steaks, takoyaki, three different kinds of soup, four different kinds of sauces, and a giant beef with a bit of red meat in the middle to top it all off, and that's excluding all the dishes Kazuto didn't know personally.

There was even some kind of weird gooey jelly, but Asuna's mother, Kyouko, warned both Midori and Kazuto that this was strictly for dessert only. Personally, despite Kazuto feeling appreciative for their enormous generosity they had shown him, had no intention of even trying the weird dish in the first place, so he was completely fine with being restricted of it at that moment.

Everyone, besides himself and his aunt Midori, found all of this quite normal, since this was a party after all. Asuna and her father couldn't help but giggle and chuckle quietly at the two low life people's reactions though, each of them earning a strict and cold glare from Kyouko to keep their mouths shut.

A tall, smiling waiter with dark hair stepped inside through a set of double doors in the back of the room, and bowed deeply and respectfully for the rich family, wishing all of them a happy, and delicious dinner evening. Several maids who had been accompanying him bowed in sync as they aligned behind each of the participants seats, and smiling silently as they bowed.

"Bon Appetite"

And with a snap of his fingers, the waiter and the maids disappeared back into the kitchen from where they came.

~Later in the evening~

Kazuto sighed quietly, and for the first time in a good while happily, as he plumped onto the soft and heavenly bed of his brand new teenage room. He couldn't help but smile at his and his aunt's luck. Within less than 24 hours he had went from living on the unmerciful street, to live high and mighty in an enormous mansion, maybe as a servant, but as a happy servant.

A giant smile had been plastered on his lips all day, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop once he started, and his cheeks was beginning to get sore. Though, he didn't care much at the moment.

A faint and gentle glimmer of moonlight shone in through the see-through silk curtains of his room. A gentle, yet warm breeze, wafted in through the open double doors to his balcony, and he sighed quietly of satisfaction as it graced his cheek.

"Man, what a day…" He mumbled quietly as he put a hand over his mouth to stifle a yawn "I haven't done any physical work and I'm already exhausted. Wonder how It'll be tomorrow?"

He sighed a little and sat up in his soft bed, looking out at the big moon hovering silently over the mansion. After a while of staring into nothing, he was about to roll into bed and call it a night, when he was awoken from his half-slumber by an almost silent knock at his door. He lifted his head from his pillow and yawned as he stepped over to the door, another knock hurrying him up.

"I'm coming, I'm coming"

As he opened his bedroom door he expected either Mr. Yuuki, Asuna or his aunt, anyone at around his own height, to have visited him. But as he saw no one in his immediate vision, and had looked both left and right down the hall in confusion, he was about to close the door again and go back to sleep, when he felt a slight tug at his pajamas' pant leg, and a soft voice speak up to him.

"Uhm, down here mister"

He looked down in surprise and widened his eyes as he saw a little girl. She didn't look much older than 10 or 11, and she had long, black flowing hair that almost reached her hips. She had the most adorable childlike smile, and dark grey deep eyes, much like Kazuto's.

"Good evening mister" She said with a bright smile and a tilt of her head "you're new here, right?"

He stared down at the little girl for a moment, before giving her a prominent nod.

"Uhm, yeah, I'm mr. Yuuki's new servant" he mumbled, still confused that he was suddenly visited by a stranger "Uhm, who are you, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I'm Yui Yuuki" She said with another childish smile "I'm the adopted daughter of Asuna Yuuki"

She seemed to have a much better vocabulary than most children her age. Maybe she had a private tutor in the mansion?

"Well, it's good to meet you Yui" he said with a smile "Why didn't I see you at the gathering this afternoon?"

"Well, uhm…" A slight tint of red washed over her cheeks "I was hiding away at the library in the other end of the mansion. I was kind of scared to meet you and your aunt"

"You shy against new people?" Kazuto asked with a wry smile, receiving a nod in return "You don't have to be scared of us though. Not all hobos are bad"

He said this with a slight chuckle and she giggled in return, before she raised her hands towards him, a small porcelain cup filled with tea in-between them.

"I was thinking you might be exhausted after today" she said with a caring smile "So I brewed some tea for you"

"Oh, thank you so much Yui" He said with a smile as soon had the liquid between his lips "Mmm, strawberry. Remind me to return the favor"

She nodded excitedly and giggled again before taking a step back.

"Well, it's way past my curfew" She said with a mischievous smile "Mommy will be mad if she catches me out here, so I need to get going"

She bowed quietly and began to skip down the hall, before taking a glance over her shoulder and waving back at Kazuto. He chuckled and waved back at her before closing the door and finishing his tea, before finally going to bed, a pleasant sleep rolling over him soon enough.

 **A/N**

 **Hey guys! Thank you so much for reading this second chapter of my latest fanfic.**

 **I have never seen so much growth in my fanfics in one chapter as this one. Almost 20 follows and more than 10 favorites!? That's crazy!**

 **I just want to thank you guys so much for welcoming this fanfic so readily. Without you guys, I would have about no motivation to write these things in the first place.**

 **Again, thank you so much. I can't wait to post the next chapter, next week.**

 **See you guys then, and keep reading dear friends!**


	3. Chapter 3 - Work at The Riches

_Sword Art Online_

 _A Forbidden Love_

 _Chapter 3 – Work at The Riches_

That following morning, Kazuto's head lifted from his pillow with a start. The sun's rays was quietly shining through his brand new silk curtains, making him rush out of sleep.

Even though he had become a little startled by the sudden sunrays from outside, who had just managed to break through a cloud barrier, he couldn't help but have a small smile on his lips. He hadn't had that good of a night's rest for a long time now, and for once, he could let his aching bones rest to the fullest.

He stretched his arms in the air and yawned as he swung his legs over the edge of his master bed, before taking a glance at the clock on his nightstand. The shock that came from the sight almost made him puke up the tea from the evening before.

"12.15!? I should have been up hours ago!"

He yelled to himself in a panic as he rushed over to the wardrobe in the other end of the room to quickly change into his new work uniform. Since he had already had a bath the night before he figured he didn't have to have another one in the morning, and he quickly changed before rushing out to brush his hair, and teeth, and put on some deodorant, before rushing downstairs in a panic.

When he finally reached the foyer, he was panting quietly and leaned silently against the stair railing to catch his breath. Weird. He had been told to meet up with the other servants here in the foyer every morning so they could run through the tasks for the day. Why wasn't anyone waiting for him here?

But then again, he guessed he was being so late that no one had bothered to stay behind for him anymore, and had just gone to do whatever they were supposed to do. That thought crossed his mind as he made his way towards the dining area to find anyone who might be able to supervise him.

As he reached the dining area entrance he pushed open the doors with both arms and stepped inside, only to find the dining hall to be completely empty, besides one lone person who was sitting in the far back and sipping tea from a teacup. It was Asuna.

He widened his eyes a bit as he saw her. Once again he was put aback by her radiant beauty. He was completely captured by her presence alone, and that was enough to set his heart beating, though he set the feeling aside for now as he approach the young mistress of the house.

"Good afternoon Ms. Asuna" He said with a smile and a humble bow.

"Oh, Kazuto! Good morning to you as well" She said with a gentle smile.

She put the teacup back on it's saucer on the table before she spoke again.

"What can I help you with?" She asked as her gaze fell on him.

He smiled and leaned back up from his bow as she addressed him, clearing his throat in slight embarrassment from his sleeping in this morning.

"I uhm, was kind of hoping you could tell me where your father was" He mumbled as he scratched his neck "I slept in this morning, so I have no idea what I am supposed to be doing this afternoon"

"Oh yeah, Father did tell me of that" She said with a slight giggle "He told the servants to let you and your aunt sleep. They were supposed to take it easy on you for the first few days, get you used to the idea of being a servant. After all, you both have been through so much"

He could feel his heart sting slightly at Asuna's words. He felt like he didn't deserve his boss's generosity at all, and that he should have started working right from day one, but he also felt a magnificent gratitude towards the man, a gratitude that he would make sure to pay back one way or another.

"So, if you were wondering what you should do,"

Since Kazuto didn't speak up, Asuna took this as her que to keep speaking.

"maybe you could help me with the garden work"

This little piece of information struck Kazuto as a surprise. A young rich girl like her was doing manual work at home? He didn't want to judge a book by it's cover, but he had almost thought the family would have their servants do everything for them. It surprised him to an extent to know that Asuna had chores too.

"You do chores Miss?" he asked surprised, earning an earnest giggle from his boss's daughter.

"Of course, I can only be asked of that much" She said with a calm manner "I am but a human. I should learn to fend for myself in case we would lose all this one day, god forbid it"

That made a lot of sense to him. If the possibility of Asuna and her family ever losing the many millions they had in their position, Asuna would be forced to learn to fend for herself and for her family the same way that he had been, though he didn't wish that fate upon even his worst enemy.

"So, you want to come help me?" she asked with a smile as she stood from the table "My tea is done, so I was going to the garden now"

He had been eyeing her outfit for now, and he was for the first time greeted with something that didn't seem all that grand. It was a mint green summer dress, accompanied with a green garden apron and a thick set of gardening gloves, along with a huge summer hat to protect the wearer from the relentless sun above.

He nodded quietly at her invite and bowed in respect.

"Good. Go get your gardening clothes, and meet me in the foyer. I shall lead you to our garden"

He nodded and bowed again before running back up to his room to get the new clothes. When he came back he was dressed in a pretty decent set of clothes, nothing to brag about, but nothing too hideous either.

He was almost looking like what you would think of a stereotypical young farm boy, complete with a pair of thick jeans so they wouldn't get ripped, and a short sleeved green checkered shirt, with heavy boots. Not the heaviest hillbilly, and anyone from an outside perspective would have seen him as quite the handsome young man.

As soon as he stepped into the foyer, Asuna noticed him, and she lit up in a smile as she turned towards him gracefully.

"Good, you're ready" She said with a smile "We'll take a shortcut through the pantry. It's much quicker than to walk around the mansion"

"I would guess" Kazuto mumbled as he followed after her "This place is huge"

"You'll get used to it I swear" Asuna said with a smile "When we originally moved here from Kyoto, I thought I would need a map to keep track of the place as well"

"Maybe that wouldn't be such a bad idea" Kazuto mumbled as they approached the door to the pantry.

As they stepped in, Kazuto couldn't help but look around in awe. Even a room like this, which would normally be pretty small in comparison to other rooms in a home, was huge by his standards. It was easily the size of two master bedrooms by itself.

It was decorated in a pretty special way too, making it look like something from the early 1700. A lone black iron lanterin was standing on a shelf in each corner of the room, illuminating the room in a gentle and warm glow.

Each shelf was adorned with all different kinds of meat, sausage, and other pleasantries. Bread, jelly, marmalade and many other things was standing there as well, and in each drawer was different kinds of beans, for taste in soups or sauces, or many different coffee beans from all over the world. It seemed they mostly used this room for storage of breakfast utilities.

The walls consisted of brutedly formed rock formations and the room itself was sunk a little into the ground, which made it that mostly all year around, it would be cold enough in the room to keep the food fresh.

When Kazuto was finished gawking at the many delicious snacks adorned on the shelves, they continued through the halls until they reached a glass door which led out to a greenhouse which was directly connected to the backside of the main house.

Inside the greenhouse was row after row of fresh and lush-looking vegetables, of any kind you could think of. Peas, cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, pumpkins, anything. Asuna told Kazuto that most of the time, the servants would take care of everything, but the greenhouse was something that Asuna and her mother had made their own weekend and free time project together, something between mother and daughter.

"Then my big brother and father can keep their video games" She said with another giggle.

"Hehe, sounds reasonable enough" He said with a smile as he followed her.

As they walked along a grasspath to the main garden, a thought occurred to him.

"Hey, Ms. Asuna?"

"Please, just call me Asuna"

"Right, A-Asuna" he stuttered a little "I just thought of something. Yesterday evening, I met this cute little black haired girl in the hall. She said she was your adoptive daughter, right?"

"Yes, that's right" Asuna said, her smile growing even wider from proudness "That's my daughter, Yui Yuuki. I took her home a few years ago after finding her in the street"

"Huh!? She lived in the street!?"

"Yes, unfortunately" Asuna's expression grew grim "I don't know what happened exactly. Only that she was walking around and calling for her parents when we found her walking through the streets one day for grocery shopping.

She had told us that her parents had told her to stay at the local park and play with the other local kids until they had tended to a more personal matter of their own. But when ten in the morning became noon, her parents had still not come back.

She began looking for them, but she never found them again. My guess is that she and her family is poor, and that they abandoned her because they couldn't afford any food for her as well"

Kazuto could see how Asuna's shoulders trembled in rage as the memory rushed back to her in her head.

"I just can't see what good it would do…" She hissed through her teeth "Didn't even have the guts to leave her at a children's care center, and go through a painful goodbye… Just left her there… Unwilling, so they didn't have to go through a tough situation… What kind of parents is that!?"

Kazuto looked at her in worry and discomfort, before putting a gentle hand on top of Asuna's shoulder to calm her down. It appeared to make her jump a little, and when she turned back around to face him she had an expression of surprise on her face.

"It's okay Asuna" He mumbled, even forgetting his normal formality to the woman in front of him "You're giving her the best life you can offer her. That's the best justice I can think of"

She looked at him with a hue of surprise hanging over her for a moment, before she took back her resolve and nodded with a gentle smile.

"Yeah, I guess" She mumbled appreciatively "Thank you Kazuto. It's nice to know you're doing the right thing every now and again"

As they talked they eventually reached the huge garden. Before Kazuto could even gawk at the sight of a rich family's garden, Asuna had already given him a digging spoon and a small bucket to carry the dirt.

"Now, here's what we have to do" She said with a confident tone "We need to plant, and replant, some of these garden flowers here. My mother likes order, so keep in mind that she'd like for them to be color ordered"

He nodded quietly at the, what he thought was an oddly specific detail to include, but he was only mildly surprised. Asuna's mother, in all due respect, had seemed to be a woman of control and order. She seemed to be the type to be harsh if anything was out of place, which was obvious in the way her and her husband's servants behaved, and how every little thing in the house was polished and placed to perfection.

He looked around at the flowery scene around him. He couldn't help but crack a smile as the sun's warm rays of light hit his neck, making him hum in satisfaction. Yesterday it had been so unbearably hot, almost making it possible to sizzle eggs off the street pavement. Today, the weather was just right. Warm, but with a gentle breeze from his left to cool him down when he worked to hard or too long.

He carefully dug the ground and placed each flower where he was instructed to by his young mistress. The flower bed seemed to mostly consist of white and red tulips, though a few purple lilacs and red roses was mixed in the far back as well.

When about half an hour had passed, and the sun in the sky had reached it's top point, Asuna could no longer withstand the baking warmth, even with her clothes protecting her from the sun's rays. She stood up and dusted off her garden apron of dirt, before looking down at Kazuto with a smile.

"Continue here for a moment, okay?" She asked, smiling "I'll go get us some tea, be right back"

He nodded quietly at the sweet gesture and followed Asuna with his eyes until she disappeared into the house and out of sight.

He couldn't help but smile. She was really beautiful, he just couldn't stop thinking about it. Every little movement of her was graceful, and every little detail seemed so well practiced. He kept trying to forget about her in that sort of way, but couldn't help but stare at her hips as they swayed in tact with her walking as she left him on his own.

He didn't know why he was so fascinated by her, besides her beauty. They had only known each other for a short while, but still, he found the girl intriguing. He often found himself wanting to learn more about her, to learn what was behind that graceful, almost ice-queen like outer shell of hers.

He almost completely forgot about the flowers he was supposed to plant because of his internal thought train, that when Asuna came back with a tea-set and a small tray of cookies and sweets, he had barely planted any new flowers at all since she left.

"Kazuto, what have you been doing while I was gone?" Asuna asked with a sly smile and a raised eyebrow "You haven't got any progress"

"Oh uhm, sorry Asuna, I was just…" He mumbled, a bit embarrassed that he had gotten caught in his own thoughts "I'm just thinking of a lot of stuff is all"

"I understand" Asuna said with a nod as she put the tea-set and sweets in the grass between them "Having come from such a hard background, I can see why your head would be filled with thoughts"

He nodded quietly, and bowed his head at her as to thank her for bringing all of this out for him.

"Let's not eat this in the grass" Asuna said with a smile "We could go to the terrace overlooking the garden instead. We'd be able to sit much more cozily as well"

Kazuto nodded and smiled at the idea, before standing up and brushing himself free of dirt.

When he reached down to pick up the tray of sweets for his mistress, partly as a form of thanks to her for bringing them out here, and partly for feeling like he had to be more like a servant towards her, their hands came in contact with one another for a split second. They glanced at each other for a short moment before letting go of each other's hands sharply, the first one blushing even brighter red then the other.

"U-Uhm, come on then" She mumbled, trying to fake her embarrassment "We'd have to hurry, or the tea would go cold"

"Somehow, I doubt that would be possible in this heat" Kazuto mumbled in a way to save the situation.

And with that, they headed towards the terrace, in a long awkward jock.

 **A/N**

 **Hey guys! Thank you so much for reading this week's chapter!**

 **Again, I can't believe how much support this thing is getting. Geezus 0-0**

 **Also, I'm sorry that this chapter is a little shorter, but since I was sick until Thursday *Sigh* I'd have to shorten it down if I wanted to do it for the deadline. Hope you understand. This is also the reason that I will only be able to upload this chapter, and I will have to wait with After The Incident for a little while. I am so sorry for this, but I can't really do anything against sickness.**

 **See you next week, and keep reading guys :)**


	4. Chapter 4 - New And Old Friends

_Sword Art Online_

 _A Forbidden Love_

 _Chapter 4 – New And Old Friends_

~That following evening, Kazuto's bedroom~

After dinner that evening, Kazuto had almost immediately excused himself and went directly to his room. He felt like he needed some room to think. The thoughts was swirling around his head at the moment, and he needed some time alone.

Mr. Yuuki's warning of keeping away from Asuna now began to ring in his mind. He felt guilty somehow. He had approached his boss's daughter without even thinking about what the consequences might inherit, and even though Mr. Yuuki had made a big thing out of telling him to specifically stay away from her. So why had he accepted her request anyway?

He knew he had done it without thinking twice, that much was clear. But why was that? Why had he blindly ignored the order of his master, to be close to that exact same master's daughter?

He jumped onto his bed, fully clothed and all, and laid an arm over his eyes to block out the surrounding world. Why? No matter how many times he asked himself that, no answer seemed to come to mind. He rolled around in his bed, the question of "Why?" torturing his mind over and over again.

The young mistress was the only thing on his mind lately, but why? Why did he find her so fascinating? Why was his mind wrapped around her finger? She had him trapped by his own mind, and he just couldn't figure out why, why, WHY?

He didn't want to lose that blessing he had been giving just a few days ago. He didn't want to ruin this brilliant opportunity to take care of his family, his opportunity to grow up like any other kid would. That evening, he decided to stay away from her for good. He couldn't lose this job.

With that final thought in his tired mind, he closed his eyes and fell asleep, without as much as pulling of his shirt, after making sure that his morning alarm was actually set this time.

The next morning he woke up early and took a quick shower, before jumping into his work suit and walking down to the foyer. This time, as he had expected the afternoon before, he saw the rest of the servants stand on line by the dinner double doors, and immediately lined up beside them on the right side from the entryway.

When the Yuuki family's footsteps began to sound from the hallway in the upper floor, Kazuto noticed how tense everyone else became. He tried to tense his resolve a little to act proper and like everyone else, though it was a little tough on him considering he was still a bit sick and weak from his time on the street.

He smiled and couldn't help but chuckle a little as he saw his aunt nervously scoot after the family in a hurry. She scooted down to join his side, standing straight as a proper servant. He smiled quietly and looked back to focus on his master family, though he looked away as his gaze fell on Asuna. She looked at him surprised at his reaction, since she thought they were at least at decent terms with one another.

When the Yuuki family entered the dining hall, most of the servants walked in behind them, all except Kazuto and another servant, a male. He seemed a bit older than Asuna, more on her older brother's age. He had short brown spiky hair with a few dots of a beard on his chin, along with a bright and cheerful smirk on his face.

"Hey, you're the new servant right?" The older man said with a smirk.

When Kazuto sheepishly nodded and scratched his neck, the older man clapped him on the back and began leading straight through the dining hall and out to the kitchen in the back.

"Nice to meet you guy!" he said enthusiastically as he wrapped an arm around Kazuto's shoulders "I'm Ryotaru. I'm one of the servants who serve food around this place"

"Oh, right" Kazuto said as he looked around in wonder of the wonderful kitchen "I did actually see you last night. You're a tall guy, do you know that?"

"Hehe, I hear that a lot" Ryotaru said with another smirk and a goofy scratch of his nose "Anyway, not to rush you or anything, but we kind of need your help here in the kitchen. You know how to cook?"

"A little, but not anything special"

"Nah, me neither. You can help me with the dishes after breakfast then" Ryotaru said with a smirk "I can't cook worth much, so I usually take care of the dishes"

"That sounds decent at least" Kazuto said with a chuckle "What are you doing for the rest of the day then?"

"I'm mostly just an assistant to the other servants in the kitchen" Ryotaru said with a chuckle "Though that's fine with me. That means I only have to do something when the other servants need help"

"I guess that means you have a lot of free time then"

"Damn straight" Ryotaru said with another hearty chuckle "Alright, let's begin cleaning some of these baking utensils. If we don't, the kitchen will be filled with them in no time"

Kazuto nodded and smiled as he helped the older man with the cleaning. He was happy that someone had the guts to approach him like this, and that he had quickly gained a new friend. This would also serve for him as a way to forget about the mistress of the house for a while, now that he finally had something else he could focus on.

A while later, Kazuto and Ryotaru helped the other servants dine for the rich family, before going to each their own room, Kazuto's being in the western part of the house, while Ryotaru's was in the northing part. They greeted each other as they parted in the hall, and Kazuto smiled quietly as he went to his room.

He smiled and took a deep breath of fresh air as he opened the window in his room. He took a quiet look around the barren room, feeling like it should have a bit more of his personality.

Ever since he had been little, he had always been interested in anime, manga and gaming, you know, the classic nerd. In his younger days, before his parents died and his pore aunt took him in, he had had a huge room with posters adorning the walls, and manga, anime DVD's and games adorning the shelves. Because his aunt was so poor though, he had had to sell most of it to provide for food and rent at least for a while.

He sighed quietly and let his head hang a little. He missed his childhood, but there was nothing to do about it. He couldn't do that much about his empty room yet, since he didn't have any money to buy new stuff for. So he had to put up with his empty room for now.

He sighed a bit from boredom. Tried rolling around on the bed a few times to calm himself down but it didn't seem to work. After a while he decided to do something about all of his free time, and ask the kitchen servants if they needed anything. Might as well go shopping than lie on his bed all day.

As he headed through the halls towards the kitchen, he passed his mistress Asuna, in the second western hall. Their eyes locked for a moment and Asuna was about to say hi, but he frowned quietly and averted his eyes, before hurrying past her and down the grand stairs in the foyer.

Asuna looked after him with a wondering expression.

"What's with him all of a sudden?" She mumbled, before shrugging and continuing down the hall.

It pained Kazuto a little to suddenly ignore his mistress like this. To suddenly ignore her after that friendly conversation and interaction they had had the day before, he felt guilty, almost like he was stabbing her in the back. Though at the same time it didn't seem that serious, he hoped that Asuna didn't take it too negatively.

As he reached the kitchen he talked to one of the upper kitchen servants, and quickly got a list of items he had to buy from the local town supermarket. He smiled and nodded quickly before heading to his room and grabbing his thin summer jacket, and heading out through the main entryway.

Unlike the last time he had been out in town like this, he actually enjoyed the sun and the warmth this time. He opened up jacket completely to let the slight breeze cool him off. Unlike when he was out begging for money, today, the sun was not sizzling hot, but gentle and calming. It was an enjoyable warmth, not one that belonged in a fireplace or on a stove.

He quickly went for the supermarket and got everything he and the kitchen staff needed, including milk, eggs, flour and other stuff. When he was about to exit the building though, something bumped into him from behind, and he was almost sent sprawled out onto the floor, with all of his items as well.

He almost snapped at the person that had bumped into him, but his glare easily softened into a surprised expression when he saw who it was that had bumped into him.

"Eh!? Rika!?"

"What!? Kazuto!?"

She quickly put down her bags of groceries and helped him up by the hand, quickly apologizing.

"I'm so sorry for that" She mumbled with a slightly embarrassed blush.

"N-No problem"

Rika had been a childhood friend of Kazuto's for many years. They had first met in elementary school, and ever since they had been practically inseparable. Though when his aunt's economy had begun to slip with her heavy drinking, he had pretty much tried to keep everything to himself, since he didn't want to involve them with his bullshit. Rika might even have had a small crush on him, though she had always blown it off as something trivial.

He had dropped out of school in second grade of middle school, and ever since then he had only talked to Rika or any of his other school friends when they occasionally met on the street, or when he was around his friends' neighborhood. The last time he had talked to Rika must have been back on his last day in middle school, several years ago.

"Where the hell have you been Kazuto!?" She burst out as the pair made their way towards the exit of the supermarket "You suddenly stopped coming to class, and I haven't seen you in years"

He felt a cold sweat and a chill run down his back as Rika immediately stepped on the landmine he had been wanting to avoid. He gulped quietly and tried to run around the subject with another one.

"Never mind that" He said with a rise of his eyebrow "What's with the lady-like getup? Like, everything you wore back in middle school was tank tops and hoodies"

"What, is a lady not supposed to dress lady-like?"

"Since when have you become a lady?"

She pouted a bit and punched him in the chest lightly and with a playful glare. As childhood friends they had always been at each other's throats like this, though they never meant anything bad with it. Teasing and screwing around had always been a part of their daily routine, so the fact that they jumped right back at it would seem like the most natural thing for the two.

"Shut up you tool" She mumbled as she pouted "Anyway, we have a lot of catching up to do. Everyone from class has been worried sick about you, you know?"

Kazuto smiled silently and drew a sigh of relief. He had managed to get off the sore topic of his constant working and his aunt's heavy drinking, which was a topic he really didn't want to approach right now. Of course he trusted in Rika, but he needed a chance to break the ice with her somehow.

"Alright Kazuto, listen up" Rika said with a confident smile "Me and some friends from class is hooking up at the park later this evening. Barbecue night, I guess you can call it. I demand your presence there"

Kazuto frowned a little from worry. He wasn't quite sure he could ask for a free pass at one of the first days of employment at his new job at the Yuuki Manor, and he didn't want to seem too loose with responsibility around his new boss, though he wasn't exactly sure what kind of excuse he'd have to use to get out of this situation. That, and he didn't want to lie to his childhood friend, who hadn't seen him for years in the first place.

"I'm not sure if I can Rika" He said "I'll have to check with my aunt"

That sentence was only partially true, and he hated not being truthful towards her. Though to speak from her reaction, it seemed like she bought it.

"Hmm, okay, call your aunt right now then." Rika said with a smile.

"Well, here's the thing" He mumbled with an apologetic smile "I kind of broke the damn thing two days ago, and I haven't gotten a new one yet."

"oh really?"

"Yeah, besides," He mumbled, feeling guilty already "I need to find some more things in the shopping district."

"Oh, that's too bad" Rika said with a small smile and a roll of her eyes "Actually, I just remembered I have to meet up with the others about tonight too."

"Oh, then maybe we should split up for now" Kazuto said, internally sighing yet again of relief "Give me the time for tonight, and I'll see if I can be there."

"Alright, it's seven tonight" She said with a smirk "Everyone will be waiting to bombard you with questions, so be prepared if you actually come."

"Alright, sounds great" Kazuto said, only half meaning what he said "I'm excited to see everyone again."

"Alright, hopefully we'll see you later Kazuto" Rika said with a smile as she headed down the street with a wave.

He smiled and waved, before letting go of his breath in a sigh.

"Man…" He mumbled silently "It's going to be tough explaining this to Mr. Yuuki"

With these thoughts on his troubled mind he began walking the opposite direction Rika took, and went back to the mansion from where he came.

As he stepped his foot in the mansion, the first person he met was the main servant of the kitchen. T find Mr. Yuuki and ask about that same evening with Rika and his old friends, he talked out the situation with the kitchen servant, and gave her the bag of items so he could go search for Mr. Yuuki.

After having searched through almost the entire mansion for his boss, he finally found him in the probably most obvious place he could be, and he internally facepalmed himself for not checking there earlier, when he stepped into Mr. Yuuki's office.

"Ah, Kazuto," Mr. Yuuki said with a bright smile "What brings you to my domain?"

He raised his arms in the air melodramatically, but with a joking undertone. Kazuto chuckled a bit before getting to the core of the problem.

"So uhm, Sir?" He asked carefully "Do you need me for anything tonight at seven?"

"Well, my family and I are having dinner 6.30" Mr. Yuuki said as he folded his hands "Why do you ask? Do you have something you need to do tonight?"

"Well, funny you should ask…" Kazuto mumbled with a nervous scratch of is neck "One of my friends from way back in the day invited me to this barbecue party with all of our old friends from middle school… It's at seven, so is it okay that I go?"

"Hmm, we'd have to find someone who can take your shift in the kitchen then" Mr. Yuuki mumbled thoughtfully "Well, I'll have to ask around, but I'm sure I can find something out."

"Oh, thank you! Thank you so much Mr. Yuuki!"

He smiled widely and bowed in excited respect, and almost couldn't stand still in excitement.

"Didn't I tell you to call me Shouzou?" He said with a smile "Now, get out of here. I still have some paperwork to do."

"Thank you, thank you"

He bowed a few times in respect once again, before bailing out of the room in excitement.

His smile was more or less plastered on his face as he walked towards the front door. He didn't even think of changing, since he didn't have that many clothes to change into besides the uniforms he had been provided by his boss.

Now all he had to do was to wait for the dinner that evening to be over, and he could finally met all of his old buddies.

That following evening, as he walked down the main road from the manor, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous though. Not only was he going to meet all his old friends from elementary school, but he knew that he was going to get bombarded from all sides with questions of what he had been doing, since he hadn't actually seen them in years.

Since he didn't want to tell them about his past, this was something that he did not want to happen. Though as he walked he decided, that if he was forced to tell them about his past, he would. They had always been great friends to him after all, and it would be almost sadistic to hold them in the shadows about this whole situation.

So when he finally walked onto the grounds off the park, felt the breeze pass over him and through is hear, when he could hear the wind rush through the leaves of the surrounding trees, and when he finally saw Rika stand by a grill somewhere deeper in the park, he took a few deep breaths before waving and calling out to her with an excited yell.

 **A/N**

 **Hey guys, thank you so much for reading this chapter, of A Forbidden Love.**

 **It's incredible how much support this thing is getting already, it's unbelievable. Thank you guys so much for bring this to more than 30 follows and favorites over only 3 chapters. Seriously, it means a lot to me.**

 **I hope to catch you guys again next week. Keep reading.**


	5. Chapter 5 - Beaches and BBQ

_Sword Art Online_

 _A Forbidden Love_

 _Chapter 5 – Beaches and BBQ_

It was now late afternoon, and the barbecue party was in full swing. The setting summer sun was now casting an orange glow over the entire area, setting a fitting background for the hot summer. Kazuto was standing by the grill and helping Rika turn chops, steaks and sausages for the following dinner that evening over the crackling orange fire of the grill.

For the first time in a long while, Kazuto was relaxing and hanging out with his old friends. He was chatting idly with Rika and his other friends, smiling and laughing, joking and hanging out like any other teenager would and should.

When they gradually had roasted and grilled enough sausages and other meat, they began to put out plates and cutlery on a nearby park table. Soon the food was ready and everyone gathered around to leap into the feast.

"Oh, I should probably tell you guys," Rika mumbled with her face stuffed with bits of hot-dog "Some more friends are coming bye later, might even bring a little alcohol"

Kazuto widened his eyes and almost choked on the potato salad he had just stuffed in his mouth.

"Hold up, no one told me anything about alcohol!"

The entire table smirked and turned their heads towards him.

"What, is it your first time drinking?!"

He blushed a little and huffed quietly as he crossed his arms over his chest. He may have been a little antisocial back in the day, but he had always spoken his thoughts, and with his job, he didn't think coming home late and drunk would set him in a very positive light.

"Yeah, it actually is" He said with a glare, the other teenagers around him gasping in melancholy.

"You poor, poor creature" One of the guys in the back said with a chuckle "You chicken?"

"No, but unlike some of us," Kazuto said with a glare "I actually have a job, which I don't feel like having a headache when I attend"

The others widened their eyes in surprise and stared over at him.

"Wait, you have a job!?" They yelled, all at once.

He was a little surprised by their reaction. Was all of them really that lazy? Wasn't any of them employed+

"Wait, don't any of you have a job?"

They all looked around at each other, shrugged and shook their heads. Kazuto sighed as he grabbed his soda and took a sip.

"Why am I not surprised?" He mumbled silently "Well anyway, my boss is a little strict with authority and responsibility, so I can't really afford to show up there half-drunk"

"Well, I guess that makes sense" Rika said with a sly smirk "I'm sad for you dude. Too bad you can't have total freedom"

"Just keep me away from the booze alright guys?" He said with a smile "I can drink a beer or two, but if I try to drink sake or anything, please beat me on top of the head"

They all nodded and continued their eating with hearty laughter and chatting, Kazuto being a little relieved that the subject of his job hadn't somehow rolled around to how his homely condition was.

He continued to eat his sausages and potato salad in silence, listening to the stories of his older classmates. How they used to go to the beach when any of them were bored, how they would skip classes to go to the roof and eat rock candy. How they would often go to this exact park when they were stressed out of their minds or when school became too much for them.

How they had been there for each other when it counted, and how Kazuto hadn't been able to be there for them. He felt so extremely guilty from just abandoning his friends from school like that, to mysteriously disappear just like that without even saying anything. He regretted his decision badly, but that was many years ago. And sadly, even in this day and age, the time machine was not yet invented.

He sighed quietly and dismissed the thought as he continued to chat and laugh with his friends until late into the evening. Around that time, the friends Rika had mentioned arrived with their alcohol. Kazuto was positively surprised as he saw Klein's tall figure somewhere in the crowd.

"Ryutaro!? What the hell are you doing here!?"

"Kazuto!? You know Rika!?"

They walked up to each other and shouted at the same time, looking at each other dumbfounded as Rika just watched in surprise.

"I'm surprised you know Ryutaro, Kazuto" Rika said with a smirk "We met when me and some friends went to this one local bar in town. We weren't old enough to buy booze and didn't have any fake ID's so Ryutaro here volunteered to by everything for us. We've hung out ever since"

Kazuto just watched her in awe. While he had had to become an adult fairly quickly, he hadn't had had time (Or money) to go out, buy alcohol or attend those kind of parties. Besides, he had never been a big party person. The music was too loud, and too many things could happen.

"Just how much have you guys been doing?" Kazuto mumbled as he held a hand over his eyes in disbelief.

"Where do you know Ryutaro from, Kazuto?" Rika asked curiously as she nudged his side with a smirk "have you guys been out raving at the same party or something?"

"you should know me better than thinking I would go out to a rave" Kazuto mumbled with a pout and a glare.

"Me and Kazuto work the same place" Ryutaro said with a smirk "He needs some training, but I'm sure he'll catch on fairly quickly"

"Wait, you work at the mansion in town, Kazuto!?" Rika's surprised yelp rose in volume for each time "Why haven't you told me you work for a goldmine like the Yuuki family!?"

"Because, one, we only just met and I've had no chance to," Kazuto mumbled directly "Second, I kind of wanted to keep it secret for now"

"Huh? Why?" Rika asked silently as she looked over at Kazuto with a worried expression "Does this have something to do with the fact that you basically disappeared during middle school?"

"Yeah, kind of." Kazuto mumbled with a sigh "I'll explain everything in the future okay?

Rika frowned quietly and looked over at Kazuto with a judging expression. He knew how much she hated when he wouldn't tell her about something, that was something she had hated ever since kindergarten. But he didn't want to confront his past, not right now at least.

"Alright, but you damn better tell me some day" Rika said with a huff, which she loosened into a sigh "Anyway, we're not here to be pissed. We're here to cut loose and have fun. So let's go to the beach!"

"Huh? Rika you do realise the nearest beach must be at least 30 kilometers away" Kazuto said with a weird expression "And, for some reason, I have not brought a swimsuit to a BBQ party"

"Well, that's where I come to the rescue" Rika said with a chuckle "We're using Ryutaro's and his friend's car, and take us and all the alcohol we can carry to the beach. And yes, one of the boys actually brought an extra set of trunks, believe it or not"

"Yeah, for once, Tachibana was actually planning ahead" One of the other boys said with a laugh.

"Hey, I DO in fact plan ahead you jackass!" Tachibana said in retort.

The rest of them laughed straight up in the air and began packing down the food and the grill in the cars. Kazuto was a little nervous that he and Rika had been so close to talking about how he was bound to live in the streets for the past few months, and how the last few years been one long struggle.

It was something he was not quite ready to talk about yet, and he hoped that Rika could understand that. But even if she didn't, it was something he was perfectly willing to talk about, at the right time. He knew that she deserved to know why he had disappeared for several years, he just hoped he could get some time to get ready to confront his childhood friend about his past.

It took them about half an hour or 45 minutes to get to the beach from the park. It wasn't an original part of the plan, but there was still something around 4 hours until he had to be home so he could go to work the next day, which was also the reason he would rather stay away from the alcohol.

The girls and the boys split up to change into their swimwear, before heading down to the clean white beach. There was a silent sound of waves rushing towards land waving through the air, louder and louder the closer they got to the sea.

Kazuto smiled quietly as he stood by the sea in the bright blue bathing trunks he had just lent from tachibana. He sighed quietly and breathed in the salty sea air, as he felt the saltwater rise and fall around his feet, cooling them off in the hot summer evening.

He felt a slight tap on the shoulder and spun around to see Rika stand behind him, in a very revealing swimsuit. A few thin straps covered her chest and lower area, and a few strands kept those straps together so they wouldn't expose her body even more. You could see the outlines of her breast as well as the entirety of her back as she twirled around to show off her sexy swimsuit to her best friend.

"So, how do I look?" She said seductively as she winked at him "Think I'll attract a boyfriend with this?"

He bit down on his lip and couldn't help but check her out a little, but quickly got back to his senses.

"I think it will attract trouble" He said bluntly, trying not to give her the satisfaction of seeing him being embarrassed "Since when did you wear those kind of clothes anyway?"

"Ever since I became interested in boys" She said, putting a hand on her hip and another behind her head, shooting out her hip in a pose "I might be targeting you, you know!"

As she said this she winked at him sweetly and stepped a bit closer to him, making sure to sway her hips seductively. He could feel how his face was burning up, though he wasn't quite sure if he was actually blushing or not. He heated up even more as she pressed up against him, her hands resting on his chest, and her breath tickling his neck as she smirked up at him, satisfied already but seeing how much she could get out of him.

"Rika, get off me please" He mumbled nervously "What's gotten into you all of a sudden?! We just met, after several years in fact!"

"Come on Kazuto, you know I love teasing people!" She said with a giggle before she pulled away "But seriously, I hope to pull off some moves with this new suit"

"Just don't pull those moves on me" Kazuto mumbled with a sigh of relief as she backed off of him "Why don't you go flirt with Tachibana then? I'm sure he could use some company!"

"Hey! Are you calling me lonely!?" Suddenly Tachibana was standing right behind them and had given them both a heart attack.

"Geez, you're just as sneaky as ever Tachibana!" Kazuto yelled in surprise as he tried to calm his breathing as he laughed heartily "I remember you used to pull these tricks at everyone back in middle school"

"Yeah, it was good times" Rika said with a laugh as they sat at the edge of the water "Anyway, we're not here to pull pranks, we're here to go for a swim! Come on, let's get in the water!"

Rika laughed and ran to the ocean and the rest of them followed suit, as they couldn't wait to let the evening float away.

* * *

That same afternoon, at the Yuuki mansion, Asuna was sitting in the huge library, whisking her evening away with a thick novel from her favorite author, and a nice cup of tea, just when her adoptive daughter skipped along the hall and up to her, practically jumping into her lap.

"Mommy, mommy!" She yelled excitedly as she nuzzled up to her mother's chest "What are you doing mommy?"

Asuna giggled quietly at her adoptive child's almost hyperactive way of acting, before she spoke in a gentle voice and put the book down so she could wrap her arms around the child.

"I was just reading dear." She said with a smile as she kissed her forehead. "What are you doing, since you're so active still?"

"I was just seeing the new servant leave the mansion" Yui said excitedly "He seems like a really nice person"

"Oh? Have you met him, personally?"

"Yes, last night." Yui said with a giggle "He seemed to be a bit restless so I brought him some tea to cheer him up. He was really nice to me"

"That's wonderful dear" Asuna said with a small smile as she held her daughter close "Is there any particular reason that you're not outside playing? You like playing in the garden, right?"

"That's right, but…" Yui said with a thoughtful expression "I was just wondering if you wanted to go with me. You know, come play something with me"

Asuna smiled quietly and gently kissed her daughter's forehead again before she lifted the both of them off the comfy chair she had been sitting in by the fire.

"Sure, sounds like fun" She said with a giggle as she let Yui down onto the floor "Let's go then"

As they walked through the hall, Asuna thought back to when she had found Yui on the street on day when she and one of the servants had gone out shopping, and they had found Yui, crying, panically running around and calling for her parents. They had then approached her and asked to help her find them, but after an entire day of searching, they hadn't found the right adults to take care of her.

Asuna remembered the fury that had gone through her, and all the questions on that day. How could someone simply abandon their child like that!? She knew that other people didn't have the many luxuries like she dad, of course she knew that. But a child is still its parent's responsibility, and if they knew their money situation was poor, they shouldn't have slept together in the first place.

These troublesome thoughts that ran through Asuna's head while she and Yui made their way through the halls was soon dismissed though, as they finally reached her mother's pride and joy, their lovely flower garden behind the mansion. Sadly, they were not the only one's there, much to Asuna's dismay.

Her mother was also there, which wasn't much of a surprise to Asuna. Her mother had almost spent more time taking care of the garden than to take care of her, but Asuna didn't blame her for that. She loved that garden. That's something else she could say about the bond between Yui and her grandmother.

When Asuna had arrived at the mansion with Yui for the first time, her mother had been furious. The normally gentle and caring mother she was, was replaced with something Asuna could only call a fire-breathing monster.

Asuna's mother had always been very high class and feminine. She hated the lower class for reasons that Asuna even now, quite didn't understand. Asuna knew that her mother was afraid to lose her wealthy lifestyle, but Asuna had no idea why. But she had come to the conclusion that her mother hated Yui because she saw her as a threat to her and the way she was living.

At the day of Yui's arrival, Asuna and her mother had broken into a huge fight, one that had resulted in a several week's grounding for Asuna, and several sentences between the two that they both regretted. Ever since they hadn't been on the best of terms, and in terms of Asuna and Yui, she had become extremely tense and strict, in contrast to the caring and gentle mother she had been before Yui had arrived.

Asuna still didn't regret a thing though. Ever since day one, she had cared for Yui like a mother would her daughter, and both her and Yui saw each other as mother and daughter in that regard. They both loved each other unconditionally, and had ever since the first day, so Asuna was not willing to create a family bond that had never existed between her daughter and mother.

When they walked past Asuna's mother in the garden, she shot them both a deadly glare before going back to her gardening. Asuna cursed at her mother under her breath, before she shielded Yui from her gaze wit her body, and leaded her further into the garden and away from her mother.

Thankfully, to Asuna's big relief, both her brother and father was sitting by the summer pavilion deeper into the garden, and she sighed a bit and smiled as her and Yui walked up to them.

Her brother and father both thought that her mother's treatment of Yui was uncalled for, since she had never given Yui a chance to know her, and Asuna was happy that she at least had their support.

"Good afternoon brother, father" She said with a smile.

"Good afternoon grandpa, uncle" Yui said with an adorable bow as Asuna's older brother ruffled her hair with a big grin.

"Good afternoon to you both. How are things going?"

"It's going fine, thank you for asking uncle." Yui said with a smile "Me and mommy was just going to play in the garden"

"That's wonderful dear" Asuna's father said with a smile "Maybe I should join you guys. I feel like I haven't done anything but pay rent the last three days."

"I don't have anything important to do either, for once" her older brother said with a sigh "We can all go play badminton. Yui and Asuna, versus me and dad. How does that sound?"

"You're on, uncle!" Yui said with a challenging smirk "Come on mommy, let's go!"

She tucked happily at her mother's shirtsleeve and she and her elders laughed, before following the young girl into the garden. Back at the rose patch, Asuna's mother looked up from her flowers as she saw her family leave the pavilion in laughter, sighing quietly to herself before going back to work.


	6. Chapter 6 - Bonds Beyond Boundaries

_Sword Art Online_

 _A Forbidden Love_

 _Chapter 6 – Bonds Beyond Boundaries_

The next morning Kazuto woke up with his head on his pillow, staring up at the ceiling. He had a small smile on his face, after the wonderful afternoon and evening he had had with his old childhood friends yesterday. He had managed to keep his past hidden, while still having a great time with his friends. In his head, that was definitely a plus.

He might have promised Rika to explain to her what had happened someday, but as a plus he had made sure to let her know that he would only tell when he was ready, which was something he appreciated she had accepted.

He rose his head from his pillow and energetically jumped out of bed, walking over to his closet to find his work uniform. He hung it on the railing of his bed before taking a quick shower, making sure to look presentable as he put on his uniform and went downstairs to the other servants in the foyer. The dinner got done as usual, and the servants and the family went on their marry way.

Kazuto stood back in the kitchen after helping clean up the dining table, a bit lost on what he had to do now. They didn't need any extra help in the kitchen, and he didn't know what to do. He looked around to find any servants, but until now, everyone was doing something on their own.

Now that he thought about it, he had always had some kind of work sheet with a plan on where he had to be and what he had to do at a specific time, but nothing here. Now he was lost, and he realized that if he didn't set himself to learn his schedule, he would be pretty lost pretty often.

Just as he was about to abandon hope and head back to his own room, he felt a soft tab on his shoulder, and he whirled around to see who had poked him.

It was a young looking woman, a bit taller than himself. She had a bright smile on her lips and small cute freckles on her cheeks, as her green eyes sparkled from happiness behind a set of oval glasses. She had long brown hair which had been done in a ponytail, which quietly rested on her left shoulder as she bowed a little to the young man in front of her.

"Good morning, Kazuto right?" She asked quietly as she bent back up "My name is Sasha. I help Mr. Yuuki with the paperwork, and help the newcomers settle in with their new jobs. I hope you've had a nice time settling into your new room"

She bowed again elegantly and beamed a smile at him. He couldn't help but blush quietly at her friendliness, and he bowed quickly to show her my respect.

"oh uhm, yeah, I'm Kazuto" he mumbled as he bent back up to face his fellow employee "I was actually looking for someone who could help me. I'm a little lost"

He chuckled embarrassedly and rubbed the back of his head. He really was lost, and he found it a little embarrassing to ask for help since he had taken care of himself for several years.

"No problem at all, I know it can be quite a handful" Sasha said with a quiet giggle "If you would please follow me, we can continue this conversation in Mr. Yuuki's office"

"Huh? Why Mr. Yuuki's office?"

"There's usually copies of the usual paperwork there" She said with a smile "I've requested for my own office for quite a few months now, though the family is still thinking about a solution"

"So, you do all the paperwork at Mr. Yuuki's office?"

"Exactly. Now please follow me"

She smiled and waved for him to follow her, and he quietly obeyed, following along as they made their way through the many halls of the huge mansion. It took them about 5 minutes in total to find the room, before Sasha took the knob of the door to the office with a strong grip.

"Here we are. Let me just get those papers"

She opened up the curtains in the window in the office to let some sunlight in the otherwise quite dark room, and opened the windows to let in some fresh air, before she went to the desk in the middle of the room.

"Alright, if they aren't in the desk drawer, they should be…"

She searched around for the papers for a few more minutes before finally finding them in a drawer.

"Ah, here they are, finally" she mumbled with a sigh of relief as she dumped the stack of papers on the thick wooden desk of Mr. Yuuki's office.

"Those things look a little heavy" Kazuto mumbled "Do you want me to carry them back for you?"

"No, no, that's not a problem" Sasha said with a happy chuckle "We can just take care of the paperwork here. It won't take long, I promise"

No that he thought about it, he had never received anything even close to a contract when coming here. He had been wondering about it for a while now, since he thought that he would need to sign a contract if he wanted to be employed a new place. He had more or less dismissed it as a servant job not having to have a contract, but he was apparently wrong.

He took a close look at the many paged contract that lied before him on the heavy wooden desk, making sure to look for small text or any hidden meanings in the text. He hadn't gotten any education in understanding complicated paperwork like this, but he had had many jobs before this, and felt like he had gotten quite a lot of experience with those things.

The fact that he was looking for small text or hidden meanings didn't mean he didn't trust his boss either. He was just making sure. He had only just met the people after all.

After he had carefully gone through the contract and thought he understood more or less what was written, he grabbed the nearest pen and signed the paper. As he did, Sasha politely took both pen and paperwork from him, and beamed another one of her smiles at him.

"Alright, now that this is done," She said as she stoved away the paperwork "I think a proper run-through of your shift is necessary. Now, would you please follow me"

Kazuto looked at her as he followed her through the hall again. He noticed how politely she seemed to be acting and talking, even more so than most of the other servants. She seemed more gentle and caring, more or less a complete opposite of Ryutaro, who seemed much more like "One of the boys", one of those people you could go out and get a beer with because "Why the hell not?"

Sasha seemed much more like a protective and gentle person. It almost radiated off of her, and it was a quality that Kazuto admired.

They reached the foyer again and went into the dining area, where the other servants had just finished setting new flowers and potpourri in the vases around the room, giving the room a fresh new budding feel to it. Sasha smiled and gestured at Kazuto to sit down at the dining table, and once again he immediately obeyed.

"Alright Kazuto, let me explain the shift for you" She said as she handed him a work schedule. "In the morning you will help serve breakfast, and clean the dishes in the kitchen along with Ryutaro. I have heard you have already acquainted yourself with him?"

Kazuto nodded quietly without raising his voice. Oh yeah, he had acquainted himself with him alright? He had even gone so far to be pushed into drinking a beer or two with him at the beach last night even though he had said he had work the next day.

"Good, that will make settling in much easier for you" Sasha said with a smile "Then, at 12.30, you are to help me, play with Yui in her tutor break"

"Huh? Are you tutoring Yui, Ms. Sasha?"

"Please, just call me Sasha" She said with a smile and a giggle "Yeah, I am little Yui's teacher. Her adoptive mother, Ms. Asuna, wanted her to go to a public school so she could grow like any middle class kid, but sweet little Yui insisted on being tutored at home so she could spend more time with her mother"

"Aww, that's really sweet" Kazuto said with a small smile.

That little girl that visited him at his first night really did seem sweet and caring.

"She is, she really is" Sasha said as she held a hand to her chest in thought "Little Yui is very sweet and affectionate. I couldn't ask for a more wonderful student"

He smiled quietly as he listened to Sasha talking about her favorable student.

"But… Her lack of devotion towards her grandmother is unsettling"

He frowned quietly as he heard this. Why wouldn't Yui's bond with Ms. Yuuki be that great? She was only a small child, 10 years old at most. Would someone that young and innocent really be able to hold a grudge against someone?

"What do you mean, Ms. Sa-! I mean Sasha?" He corrected himself as he felt intrigued by this new piece of news.

"It's not really in my place to speak of" Sasha mumbled with a saddened look "This is some of the private matters here at the mansion, and I'm not sure neither Ms. Yuuki, nor Yui would appreciate we would drill in their affairs"

"I guess that's true" He mumbled as he rubbed his neck in questioning worry "Yui just seems like a really sweet girl… It's not an age to have troubles like that…"

"I agree Kazuto, but this is not something we can do that much about" Sasha said with a defeated sigh "I'm afraid this is something that has to be resolved between Yui, Ms. Yuuki, and Asuna respectively"

"I guess it's natural that Asuna would be dragged into this mess, being Yui's adoptive mother and all"

"Naturally. She cares a lot for her daughter, even though they might not share the same bloodline"

As of that sentence the conversation fell short, and Sasha pulled herself together and smiled up at Kazuto like the conversation they had just had never happened.

"Well, it was that work schedule, wasn't it?"

They silently went through the work schedule and exited the office soon after.

"So, do you have everything in check?"

"In the morning, help with breakfast," he started as he counted on his fingers "12.30, play with Yui. 15.30, buy groceries, and at 23.00, there's light's out. Weird, I don't think it's that much to be honest"

"That's right, but who knows?" Sasha said with a smile "you're only new, and new tasks might be assigned for you if you do your work well"

"I'd only hope so" He said with a smile as the walked down the hall towards the foyer.

"Now, there's not much to do for you right now," Sasha said with a shrug of her shoulders "But can you please come by the library at 12.30? We'll be playing hide and seek together with Yui today"

"That sounds nice, Sasha." he said with a polite bow "Then I shall take my leave. It was nice to get to know you Sasha"

"As was it with you, Kazuto" She said with a bow as well "I look forward to working with you later today. See you soon"

With a parting smile and a small wave to the young man, she twirled around on her heel and headed further into the mansion, to go on with today's work. Kazuto smiled and waved back at her, before heading up the stairs and back to his own room.

* * *

At the same time, Asuna was walking around the library restlessly. The encounter between her daughter and her mother yesterday was still haunting her in the back of her mind. She was desperately trying to come up with a way for her mother to come to terms with who Yui was, and where she was coming from. But to do so, would mean that she had to find out why her mother tried to stay away from the lower part of society so desperately.

Just as she battled herself in her own mind, the person in question, Ms. Yuuki, trudged into the library with a certain look on her face. The same face that Asuna knew all too well, and she knew what was coming with it.

"Asuna, i have to talk to you about something"

It always started the exact same way. She would get straight to the point, and tell her that she needed to attend another ball, or party or meeting at some fancy restaurant, all so she could meet her new fiancé, which was specifically chosen by her mother, and her mother alone. Asuna was sick of it, but it was something she was willing to push aside for later for her daughter's sake.

"Actually, let me speak first, mother" She said as she looked at her mother with a stern voice.

"You dare raise your voice against your own mother, Asuna?!" Her mother seemed perplexed by this, like she hadn't had it coming.

"Well, you certainly seem fine with acting cold against Yui, mother!" Asuna snapped back "Why can't you just treat her like any other human being!? She has the same exact feelings like you and i do!"

"Trash from the lower world does not belong here, Asuna!" Now Ms. Yuuki was really getting riled up "And i will not endulge myself with such scum! She does not belong here, and i have been against her arrival here since day one! Nothing you say or do can change that!"

"Why do you hate the lower world so much, huh!?" Now tears was appearing in both the women's eyes "Why do you resent the lower world!? You barely even set a foot outside the mansion unless it's in an expensive car to isolate yourself!"

"That does not concern you!"

Suddenly, Asuna felt a burning pain against her cheek. She stumbled backwards for a moment, letting reality sink in. Her mother had slapped her. She had never raised her hand to her own daughter before. Pain as a whole was a whole new aspect to Asuna, who had mostly lived safe and sound within the mansion's walls, other than emotional pain.

She stared at her mother in disbelief. Even Ms. Yuuki herself seemed shocked by what she had done, and looked down at her own flat pal, which was reddening from the force behind the slap she had just delivered. She looked down at her palm as if almost to confirm that she had indeed slapped her own daughter.

Asuna could feel her lips quiver in pain and sadness, though she bit down on it to calm it. She would not let her mother have the satisfaction of seeing her defeated. She swallowed the wail that was running up from the pit in her stomach, her mother had just left, and turned her back to the older woman with a pained and furious hiss.

"You can forget everything about finding a suitor after that little stunt, mother" She hissed at the now frantic older woman "Because, I am not staying a minute longer in a house i can't call my own home anymore. Yui and I will be out by tomorrow."

And with that, she left the library with a fast pace in her step, leaving her mother behind to let her reflect in the terrible mistake she had just committed.

* * *

As Asuna ran down the hall, the tears flinging from her eyes, she ran past her father, Mr. Yuuki, who looked after his daughter in perplexed confusion.

"A-Asuna dear, what happened!?" He yelled after her.

But it was too late. Asuna had already dissapeared around a corner, and somewhere in the distance, Mr. Yuuki could hear a door getting slammed shut, knowing that something was terribly wrong.

"My wife must be up to something again."

He mumbled this with a sigh. He had experienced this similar situation enough times to know what was happening. Just as he was about to walk back in the opposite direction of Asuna to confront his wife with what she had done now, he felt a little surprised to see her already standing there, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. This was something he had never seen before, and he stepped forward to comfort his wife in a tight hug.

"What happened dear?" He asked his wife as he took a serious look into her eyes "What have you told her this time?"

"A-Asuna... She's... She said she's moving out..." The older woman said in-between silent sobs "I-It's all my fault... I slapped her Shouzou... I hit our daughter..."

He looked at his wife with a judgeful look. She casted her eyes downwards, too ashamed to look her husband directly in the eye. She could feel how the sadness well up in her eyes.

Even she knew this time, that she had screwed it all up. She loved her precious daughter way too much to let her go now. So she would also be the one to fix everything.

Whatever the cost.

Whatever it takes.


	7. Chapter 7 - A Silver-colored Miracle

_Sword Art Online_

 _A Forbidden Love_

 _Chapter 7 – A Silver-colored Miracle_

Asuna hitched quietly as the tears ran down her cheek, and slammed the lid to her suitcase. She couldn't believe her mother actually had lifted her hand against her, and that was the final push that tipped her over the border.

She had quickly assembled several suitcases of clothes for both her and Yui, and found her credit card in her room. She had no idea where she would go, but she just couldn't stay in that mansion anymore. It didn't make sense to live somewhere you couldn't be happy.

So she zipped the suitcase to a close and brought it to the floor, before extending the handle in the top and letting the suitcase roll through the halls on it's wheels. She immediately headed for the library, since she knew that Sasha would be teaching little Yui the basics of human knowledge there by now.

In the meantime, that was exactly what Sasha and little Yui was doing, except Kazuto was also there, as requested by Sasha herself. They were just about to break off the lesson and take a breather, when Asuna stormed into the library with red eyes, and nothing anywhere near the grace in her steps she usually had.

She headed straight for Yui and was about to pick her up and leave without an explanation, but since Kazuto could see she was clearly upset, he stepped in-between her and her daughter, wanting to talk some sense into the young mistress of the mansion. He did this without thinking, and in the rush of the moment he had completely forgotten that he was supposed to stay away from the beautiful young lady.

"Miss Asuna, what is happening? Why are you so upset?"

He tried to talk to her as gently as he possibly could, but this didn't seem to help in the slightest.

"Out of my way, Kazuto!" She growled at him menacingly as she tried to move around him.

Despite being taken aback by the rude tone of his young mistress, he still stepped to the side to prevent Asuna from reaching her young and unknowing adoptive daughter.

"Asuna, come on! Calm down!" he raised his voice and spread his arms out protectively in front of Yui "What the hell is happening!?"

"Kazuto, I order you to move!" Asuna now yelled, not afraid to raise her hand to prove her point.

"Mommy, what is happening?" The young child asked nervously as she hid behind the skirt of her beloved teacher.

"Yui, honey, come here" Asuna said as she squatted, facing her daughter "We're leaving"

"Huh? Why?" The young girl asked, perplexed and confused "I want to stay here, with Sasha and Mr. Kazuto"

"honey, we can't" Asuna mumbled, the tears in her eyes strengthening "I am not happy here anymore"

"Asuna, with all due respect," Now Sasha was stepping in, with a determined expression behind her glasses "That may be one of the most selfish things I have ever heard coming out of your young mouth"

"Huh?" Now Asuna was the one to be taken aback, and rose back on her feet as she was addressed by Sasha "And in what position are you to lecture me about selfishness?"

"I am in no position to do so, Miss Asuna" The young teacher said with an angry frown "But I am still asking you to consider the position your little daughter is in"

"What do you mean?"

Asuna looked at her daughter's teacher, her friend, confused. She didn't know what she meant, and she was confused as all hell after everything she had been through that day. She just wanted to get out of here, and never come back.

"First of all, Yui doesn't understand any of this" Sasha started out as she took a step towards her mistress "In 10 years, when Yui has grown into a fine young lady, and she asks you where her grandparents are, what are you going to say to her then?"

Asuna was about to object, but Sasha didn't stop there. She was fully determined to bring her mistress back into sense.

"Secondly, are you really going to take her away? She loves this place. There's many people in this big building that she loves, including me. I know she will be ruined emotionally if you rip her away from the people she has known ever since birth"

Asuna couldn't come up with an argument against that. She froze in place, getting more and more frustrated at the thought of Sasha winning against her in, what you could almost call an "Argument Battle".

"And thirdly, and most importantly," Sasha said as she put her hands on her hips "You are Asuna Yuuki. To move away from the mansion you grew up in is, in my eyes, the same as running away. And that is an action that the Asuna I know would never even consider to do"

Asuna sighed quietly and looked away, tears welling up in her eyes again. She had, somewhere deep down, from the moment that she even let the thought cross her mind, that leaving this place, was wrong. That would be to sacrifice her daughter's happiness over her own, and that was something she just couldn't do. But she had nearly done that. She knew that as soon as she stepped through that door, she would no longer have been welcome.

She hitched and collapsed onto her knees. Her frightening expression and body language was gone. Everything that was left was one miserable girl. A girl that was about to make the biggest mistake of her life, who was about to sacrifice other people for her own well being. She was shocked that she had been driven to that point, and as she began to cry, and her salty tears began staining the carpet under her, she made a vow to herself to never do anything of the sort again, and come to terms with her mother and the problem between her and Yui.

Now that her mother's frightening aura was gone, little Yui burst away from her teacher's skirts and jumped into her beloved mother's arms. Since she didn't understand what the problem was, she didn't shed tears, but instead rubbed the back of her mother's head, telling her that everything would be okay.

Kazuto stepped back away from the ordeal as his normally calm and beautiful mistress collapsed to the floor in tears, wondering if he should do anymore to help. With a nod and a gaze from Sasha, he moved over to pick Asuna up off the floor, and help her calm down her crying.

"Now, please tell Sasha what happened." Kazuto said with a trying smile as he tried to make her meet his gaze "I will go outside and play with Yui, okay?"

Asuna didn't answer with words but with a small nod, before walking over to Sasha, who wrapped a protective arm around her mistress' shoulders, and lead her further into the library, leaving Kazuto alone with the responsibility of taking care of Yui.

The two of them watched them go, and when Asuna and Sasha was out of sight, Yui turned towards Kazuto with a wondering expression.

"What's wrong with mommy, Mr. Kazuto?"

Kazuto sighed quietly and turned his face towards her, a small reassuring smile on his lips.

"She and your grandmother is just having a little feud" He said as he ruffled her hair quietly "Those things happen all the time, you know?"

"Yeah… B-But mommy never reacted like that before" She mumbled, still gazing worriedly in the direction that her mother had left.

"Hey, don't you worry about that, Yui" Kazuto said as he lifted the young girl up in his arms "Childhood is not a time for worries, It's time for fun, so let's go play in the garden, okay?"

She nodded quietly at the mention of the garden. She smiled a little as she jumped down from his arms, tugging at his hand to make him follow along.

"Actually, I have something to show you, Mr. Kazuto!" She squealed excitedly "Come on, it's this way!"

She smiled quietly and led Kazuto through the halls of the mansion, until they reached the back garden. From there, they headed further into the huge garden, until they reached something that Kazuto only thought was a bunch of tall bushes. It didn't take much time for him to realize though, that Yui had led him directly to a hedge labyrinth.

"Was this what you were supposed to show me Yui?"

"No, this is a thing you can find several places, silly" she said with a smile "What I'm supposed to show you, is in the middle of the labyrinth"

"Oh really? What is it?"

"That's a secret until you help me find my way in there" She said, a pout spreading as she turned towards the labyrinth "I found the center over a year ago, and since there's nothing in there, I decided to hide it in there, since it's so precious. But now I kind of want it back, but can't really find the center again"

"Oh, I can see your problem" Kazuto said with a problem "You kind of regret that you dug down the headband in the first place, right?"

Yui nodded firmly before she turned back towards him.

"Exactly. So will you help me?"

"Sure, I don't need to help in the mansion right now anyway"

At the same time, Asuna and Sasha was sitting in the corner of the library, Sasha silently rubbing the back of her young mistress to calm down her crying. After about 5 minutes she finally managed to calm down, and explain everything that had happened.

"And every time I try to converse to her about it, she becomes completely ignorant"

Sasha nodded quietly every now and again as she listened to Asuna's story. She sounded desperate to make her mother approve of her daughter, and the fact that her mother didn't seem willing to listen only infuriated Sasha.

She couldn't see how it mattered where Yui came from either, just as Asuna, and to be honest she felt extremely disappointed in Ms. Yuuki.

"Don't worry, Asuna" She mumbled quietly as she squeezed the back of her mistress' hand "I'll help you solve this problem okay? You're not alone in this matter"

Asuna looked up from her hands and nodded quietly, a small smile finally appearing on her lips as she got some of her hope back.

"Thank you Sasha…" She mumbled, a small wave of guilt running over her "I'm sorry that I haven't talked with you about this earlier."

Sasha and Asuna was really good friends. Asuna had been the one to introduce Sasha to her job as Mr. Yuuki's manager in the first place, so the fact that Asuna had not opened up to Sasha about her problem seemed out of character for the young woman, who would normally talk to Sasha about anything under the blue sky, whether that being her own problems, or her interest in certain topics.

"It's no problem, Asuna" Sasha said with an understanding smile "I can see why you would want to keep it to yourself"

"Anyway, I need to find out why my mother is being like this" Asuna mumbled as she wiped the last tear in the corner of her eyes "Why is she so afraid of the lower world?"

"It could seem like it's something about her past" Sasha mumbled "I don't know much about Ms. Yuuki myself, but that is always an option, right?"

"You think she was traumatized when little or something like that?" Asuna asked in surprise as she considered that possibility "If that is the case, wouldn't she open up to her daughter and family about it?"

"I don't think it's quite that serious" Sasha said with a wondering expression "All I'm saying is, it's possible"

Asuna nodded quietly and pinched her chin in thought.

"hmm… But how do I find out what the problem of the lower world is?"

She narrowed her eyes in thought as she stared into the flames of the open chimney in the library, having moved over to it as soon as Kazuto and Yui left so they could have their private talk. She just couldn't find out what the source of her mother's hostility could possibly be.

"And it's so weird…" She mumbled, almost feeling like her head could explode from frustration "I remember when I was little… We have not always had this glorious lifestyle. When I was little we were actually a part of the more lower middle class… So why does my mother hate it so much?"

Just as Sasha was about to speak up to answer her, little Yui burst through the doors to the library with a wide smile, and a glimmering silver colored item in her right hand, as she jumped into her mother's arms.

"Mommy, mommy!" She yelled in excitement as she showed her the shiny object "look what I've found for you!"

Asuna widened her eyes a bit as she realised it was the same silver headband that she had given Yui a year ago, after yet another fight with her mother. She was almost taken back in time by her own thoughts, and remembered how she had told Yui to make sure she took good care of it.

"W-Where did you find that, Yui?" Asuna mumbled "And why would you have to find it? I thought I told you take good care of it!"

Yui blushed a little and smiled slyly up at her mother.

"Well, at the time, I figured the best way to take care of it, was to bury it" She mumbled embarrassed "So, I buried it at the center of the hedge labyrinth"

Asuna looked down at her daughter in surprise. She felt like she should scold her daughter, but found her so adorable that she couldn't possibly do so.

She looked from her daughter and down to the headband, a smile spreading on her face. She remembered how she had acquired that headband actually. Before their family had grown poor, her mother had bought that headband for her 8th birthday, and had told her that she deserved every last drop of love she could give her.

And when she had turned 18, she felt like she would do the same. Give it to her daughter, and tell her how much she deserved to be loved, and how loved she actually was. It was close to turning into tradition actually.

Suddenly, something came over her. She widened her eyes as the thought crossed her mind.

"hey… maybe this is… YES! OF COURSE!"

She suddenly stood up and placed Yui on the floor gently, before bolting out of the room.

"A-Asuna!" Sasha yelled after her down the hall "Where are you going!?"

"I'm making everything good again!" Asuna yelled over her shoulder as she disappeared around a corner.

And just like that, she was gone.

 **A/N**

 **Hey guys, hope you enjoyed this kind of short chapter.**

 **I know it's short but I've had so much to do this week, and on top of it all I had writers block so I've really been pressured these last three days to come up with something for you guys. Hope you can forgive me ;P**

 **Anyway, hoped you enjoyed this chapter, and see you guys next week. Peace.**


	8. Chapter 8 - A Cold Heart Softens

Sword Art Online

A Forbidden Love

Chapter 8 – A Cold Heart Softens

As Asuna ran down the hall and around a corner, Kazuto and Sasha exchanged a confused glance at each other, before deciding to follow after her as fast as they could, Sasha scooping Yui up into her arms as they ran down the hall.

"What the heck is the mistress doing?" Kazuto asked, making sure to mind his language around the girls behind him.

"I have no idea, Kazuto" Sasha mumbled with baided breath "But I'm sure it has some sort of importance"

He nodded quietly at her words and his eyebrows furrowed a little. Maybe there was something wrong? No, the young mistress had seemed generally excited about whatever she was doing when she took off, not sad or angry. His best bet would be that she was on her way to confront her mother.

They hurried after her as fast as they could, but to their big disappointment and irritation, she had somehow disappeared out of their sight for good. And considering the size of the mansion, it could take the a long time to find her again.

"Hmm, I guess it would be better to give her some privacy too" Sasha mumbled silently as they slowed down "If she really IS going to confront Ms. Yuuki, you know?"

"Yeah, maybe you're right" He mumbled between huffs "Let's go back to the library for now, and let Asuna do her thing"

Sasha nodded quietly and gave Yui's body a small squeeze as she smiled down at her "How do you feel about a story, huh Yui?"

"That sounds nice, though…" Yui smiled at first, but her smiled dropped and she trailed off "I'm a little concerned for mother and grandmother…"

"I understand why, little one" Sasha said with a quiet and understanding nod "But we need to let the two of them resolve their problems by themselves. Not much we can do to help anyway"

"That may be true, but…" Yui trailed off again, and before she could continue, Sasha cut her off.

"Come on, Yui" She said with a smile as she put her down to the floor "Go pick a nice fairy tale from the library, and me and Kazuto will join you shortly. Alright?"

"Okay, fine" Yui mumbled with a pout as she took off down the hall.

Kazuto sighed a bit and scratched his neck as he watched Yui run down the hall at top speed.

"Has it always been that tense between Asuna and her mother?" He asked as they walked down the same hall Yui had just disappeared into.

"I'm not one to tell" Sasha mumbled with a furrowed brow "I've only been here a year or so. Though Asuna has often expressed to me how her mother got to her nerves when we met in the city before I was employed here"

"I could believe that this whole mess started when Asuna found Yui, correct?"

"Actually, I believe it's been underway for a very long time, Kazuto" Sasha mumbled with regret in her voice "Asuna has always told me that her mother had a bad habit of making all Asuna's life choices for her"

"What exactly do you mean, Sasha?"

"Well, do you remember your first day here?"

Kazuto put a finger to his chin as he thought back to when he first arrived at the mansion. He remembered how he had heard several mad voices from inside, even when they were a bit of a distance from the mansion, and he had suggested that it must have been Mistress Asuna and her mother.

"Yeah, I remember that" He mumbled "it sounded like they were in a bit of a fight with each other when we entered. Is my assumption correct?"

"Yes. Sadly, you are correct" Sasha mumbled as she sighed and casted her sad glance to the floor "They were fighting over the fact that Asuna's mother had picked a new suitor for her"

I frowned quietly as soon as I heard the word, "Suitor". I had never been a big fan of arranged marriages, since I more or less saw it as a concept that robbed the participants of their freedom of choice.

I had stumbled upon the concept several times, and my aunt, back when we actually had money, had even asked me whether or not I preferred an arranged marriage or not. As soon as I learned what it really was, I came to resent it as a freedom robber for both participants, since the parents more or less choose who they're supposed to live with and love for the rest of their life.

At the same time, some parents could be so evilly minded that they only focused on using the arranged marriage of their children for materialistic purposes, and that simple thought almost even disgusted me. Personally, I was more of a person who liked to take decisions for myself, and not have them planned out in front of me like a map. I guess Asuna felt the same way, and I understood why she was mad at her mother for even trying to hook her up and marry her off to someone she barely even knew.

That, combined with the trouble with Ms. Yuuki's fear of the lower world, and her resentment towards Yui, who more or less represented that part of the world, and you had a recipe for eminent disaster.

"Asuna has often turned to me and her other friends when topics like these were an issue" Sasha mumbled with a sigh "She fears that her mother is only using her arranged marriage as a way to secure her position on top of the world, money-wise"

Now that he thought about it, this made a lot of sense to Kazuto. Naturally, he didn't know how much profit the Yuuki Family actually possessed, but if Asuna were to be married to a rich noble or a count of royalty, their future as a rich family would be more or less secured.

But then again, Ms. Yuuki had seemed like such a friendly woman when he had first met her. He had a bit of a hard time believing that she could do something like that, even when the words came from Sasha's lips.

"I can understand how Asuna feels"

Sasha suddenly interrupted Kazuto's train of thoughts, and he raised his gaze to look at her.

"To have my whole life planned in front of me in advance…" Sasha mumbled, her frown deepening "I couldn't ask for anything more frustrating…"

He nodded quietly as he listened to her, and forced himself to pick up a smile as he and Sasha entered the library, trying to find Yui in-between the book shelfs.

They finally found her with aher nose stuck in a fairytale book which she had found on one of the middle shelves beside her.

"Oh, finally you're here" She said with a little smile as she noticed them approaching "Can you please come here and read me this story?"

Kazuto and Sasha both nodded at her and smiled, before settling down with her by the fire in the library.

"Once upon a time…"

In the meantime, Asuna was desperately searching for her mother in the giant mansion. She was getting desperate to get her mother to accept yui, and if this didn't work, she had a feeling that she would never have any hope of turning her mother around.

She took a couple of few deep breaths to calm herself down after arriving at her mother's office. This was where she thought she would be, since her mother never really spent any time outside of it.

When she knocked a couple of times and excused herself to enter though, she was certainly surprised when she didn't find her mother there. She looked around for a moment, and when she didn't find anything of interest, she turned to leave, when a certain item on the top of her mother's work desk caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. Curiously, she took a step further towards it.

She took the small metallic item between her hands, and began inspecting it. It was a small metal frame, not very big. The frame was beautifully cut in the edge and decorated with small silver roses and vines all around the picture in the middle. Because of the picture, Asuna didn't pay much attention to the beauty of the cut of the metal frame.

The picture showed a younger version of herself and her mother. The scene around them seemed familiar, though she couldn't quite put her finger on it at first. A clean winter wonderland was spread around them, as they sat on a porch outside a wooden log. They were sat in a rocking chair, watching the beautiful canvas of white with a mug of hot chocolate in one hand each.

She herself was sat in her mother's lap and smiling up at her mother, who lovingly sent a small back at the younger version of Asuna. It was a truly wonderful and loving scene, and when she took a closer look at the surroundings, she suddenly remembered where it was from.

"That's right… This is my grandparent's place"

She remembered how they would often take short breaks from work when they had enough money, and take a trip to her grandparent's lodge in the woods to have some relaxation time. Her and her brother would often have snowball fights in the winter, build snowmen, and have steaming hot chocolate with marshmallows just like what happened there at the picture just now.

The memories of the time before her and her family became wealthy, brought small tears to the corner of her eyes. She remembered how her mother always used to express her concern of their money troubles, and when they finally got the money her mother had always wanted, it had risen to her head, and she had become resentful of the lower world.

This was what Asuna had realized when she saw that silver headband. A memory of her mother giving it to her, entered her mind.

" _Take good care of this headband, Asuna. This is probably the last present I will be able to give you in a while"_

She had looked up at her mother with confusion plastered on her face, and she tilted her head a little in confusion.

" _Huh? How come, mommy?"_

" _Well… We don't have that much money left. Your father thinks we should sell this, but it's been a part of this family for a long time, so I'm giving it to you instead"_

" _Hmm.. Well, thank you mommy. I'll be sure to treasure it"_

" _Good. Now, run along. Your brother is waiting for you"_

She saw the memory in her mind flash by like a movie. A few tears left her eyes and hit the glass in the frame a few times.

"Money can be wonderful…" She mumbled silently as she pressed the frame to her chest "But it can be hurtful as well…"

This framed picture worked as a sign of hope for her. The fact that her mother was still keeping this picture, meant that her mother still remembered the time before they became rich and noble. That also meant that she still felt a sort of positive feeling towards the time they had back then. So she still had a chance of turning her around.

After pressing the frame to her chest a last time, she went off to find her mother. There was only one place left she could think off, so she hurried down the hall, through the foyer, and headed towards the backdoor of the mansion.

As she felt the grass of the garden under her feet, she looked around to see if her mother was around. Luckily, she found her on a bench in the rose garden, looking down at her hands, and completely caught up in her own thoughts.

"mother…"

She mumbled this as she approached her mother silently, looking at her with a forlorn expression.

"What is it, Asuna?"

Asuna winched a little at the harsh tone. She took a deep breath and frowned her brow.

"I have something I need to show you"

Her mother barely had any interest in whatever she had to show her. In her head she had moved out, period. She just wanted some time to think for herself, and figure out where she went wrong in her life choices. Even so, she sighed and turned her gaze towards her daughter, who held a certain item between her shaky hands.

"Wait, is that the headband I gave you?"

Asuna nodded quietly and tried to calm her mind and body, to try and stop shaking all over.

"Yes, it is" Asuna mumbled quietly.

"Well? What do you want from showing me this?"

Asuna hitched a little as her mother talked to her sharply. She had apparently gone back to the cold woman she used to be against her and Yui.

"I just want you to remember mother" She said as she reached the headband over to her mother "Do you remember when you gave me this?"

Her mother seemed to think for a moment before she looked up at her daughter and nodded.

"Yes, it's more than 10 years now, isn't it?" She asked quietly "Back at your grandparent's lodge, right?"

"That's right. Do you remember what you told me back then?"

"Yes. I told you that this would be the last gift in a while, right?"

"Yes, that's right. By looking back into our past, I have now realized why you're so plagued by Yui. By the lower world"

Ms. Yuuki could feel how her body tensed up. She didn't want to think back on the time where she was a part of the lowest of the low, that disgusting creeping feeling of a total bankruptcy always being right on her tail.

"You were afraid weren't you?" Asuna had hit the head on the nail "you were afraid that the lack of money would eventually destroy you and your family.. You were afraid of losing everything you loved…"

Asuna didn't want to torture her mother any further than this, by letting her remember all the pain she and her family had gone through, but she needed this problem resolved if she ever wanted Yui to have a happy childhood in her care.

"But then… You got that letter" Asuna mumbled as she closed her eyes "The letter, saying something about a distant relative of the family… That relative had passed down a massive amount of money through her family line… and around then… it finally became your turn to inherit the family wealth"

Her mother gritted her teeth. She begged internally for her daughter to stop reminding her of all the horrible mistakes she had committed.

"But… When you finally inherited all those many million yen… The money rose to your head. In the beginning you were tactical and bought out several companies for which you worked as CEO so you could start rolling in some money…"

She paused as she had to take another breath and calm down.

"But when you finally felt secured… You began buying so many pointless things… We could have lived in a nice apartment, but you decided we needed to live in a mansion… You hired maids and servants… to take care of the house and us when you worked… But you completely forgot to actually love us in the process"

Ms. Yuuki hitched and looked away, feeling tears well up in her eyes. She knew perfectly well the mistakes she had made over the past 10 years, but she hadn't made any effort into correcting them, having been too busy with work to show any interest. She knew it perfectly well… and the guilt and the mixed emotions inside her had made her turn stone-cold towards the lower world, which she saw as the source for all her pain and suffering.

"Please mother…" Asuna continued, she was now sobbing into her hands "Please stop this madness… Yui has nothing to do with your pained past… You have no reason to take it all out on her. She only wants to get to know her grandmother. Is that so wrong!?"

Ms. Yuuki hitched and sobbed a little. All her pained past had haunted her always. Even when she was little she had never had much money, watching as the other kids showed off their new awesome gifts after Christmas or at their birthday in school, while she only had a few dolls and a tea-set to play with when she was younger. She had been so jealous.

In the end, it all ran up to her and her own selfish desires and feelings. She had only ever thought about her own happiness. Her own life and her own feelings, was the only thing she had been thinking about throughout her children's entire childhood, both her son and daughter. And now that her adoptive granddaughter had arrived at the mansion, she was starting to treat her the same way as well.

swallowed her emotions and tried to calm down, still too prideful to let her daughter see her show her emotions.

"I-I'll try to be more gentle towards her, Asuna" She mumbled with a stern expression, one that was about to tip over with emotion "I'll try to change, okay?"

This was more than Asuna had ever hoped for, and she smiled quietly before wrapping her arms around her mother's neck in a happy hug. They stood there for a moment, both of them secretly enjoying the other's embrace.


	9. Chapter 9 - The Two Of Them

_Sword Art Online_

 _A Forbidden Love_

 _Chapter 9 – The Two of Them_

Asuna silently broke away from her mother's embrace and beamed a smile at her, after what seemed like an eternity. The fact that her mother had said she would at least try to change, was a step in the right direction for her. Ms. Yuuki smiled wryly to her daughter in return, still unable to show how truly regretful she was.

"Mother, let's go meet Yui, okay?" She mumbled as she gave her mother's hand a squeeze "I'm sure you'll like her if you just try to get to know her, okay?"

Asuna's mother considered this for a moment, before nodding quietly and following after Asuna.

Asuna herself felt a growing happiness, an excitement, but also a slight nervousness as she led her mother through the corridors and the halls of the mansion. What would Yui say to this whole ordeal? Would she be ready to trust her grandmother, and give her a chance? Her grandmother had neglected her granddaughter after all. Only ignoring her, maybe, but neglect all the same.

As they walked through the halls of the upper floor calling out for Yui and Sasha, they finally met them when they rounded a corner in the western corner of the mansion. Even Kazuto was still there, and they all stared at each other a little surprised before Asuna broke out of her surprised state.

"Oh Yui, Sasha!" She said with a nervous smile as she stepped aside "M-Mother has agreed to give you a chance, Yui"

Her mother stepped forward as Asuna let her approach the girls, a little bit of a stern and proper expression on her face as she drew closer.

"Good afternoon Yui," She started, her stern expression turning into a smile "I'm sincerely sorry for acting like how i've acted towards you the past few months. I should have been welcoming you with open arms, and instead i gave you the cold shoulder. I know it must be confusing to you, but... I'm sorry"

She bowed silently to the little girl, who was currently clinging to Sasha's neck and hiding her face in her neck. She was angry, Ms. Yuuki could tell. She wouldn't blame her for it. She had completely ignored her after all. And she was scared that her granddaughter wouldn't give her the chance to make up for it.

"Well, i was thinking..." Ms. Yuuki tried to break the silence. For once she had trouble expressing herself "I was thinking maybe you'd like to go to the garden and play for a while. If you want that is"

Yui slowly raised her face from her teacher's neck and cast a suspicious glance at her adoptive grandmother. She wasn't entirely sure whether she could trust this lady or not. She hummed quietly in thought, thinking about her two choices carefully.

Ms. Yuuki was about to give up and retreat for today, when Yui spoke up and caught her by surprise.

"O-Okay. We can go"

Ms. Yuuki watched her granddaughter in surprise as she jumped from Sasha's grip, walked over and took her hand in her own.

"I can go show you all my secret spots, grandmother" She said with a polite smile.

Ms. Yuuki looked down at her granddaughter with a baffled expression, before she pulled herself together and came back to her senses.

"Y-Yes. That sounds good"

And with that, Yui began dragging her grandmother down the hall, their hands linked together strongly. Now that Ms. Yuuki looked down at her granddaughter, with her excited giggling and her snow white dress swaying behind her, she really could see how much of a beautiful and wonderful girl Yui really was. She felt the guilt rise up in her chest again, but swore that she would put work aside, and socialize as much as humanly possible with her new granddaughter.

* * *

Asuna and the others watched Yui drag Ms. Yuuki down the hall with either teary eyes or happy grins. Asuna sobbed quietly and wiped away the small tears in the corners of her eyes, feeling an incredible happiness well up in her chest. Kazuto smiled quietly as he stood with his back against the wall a few feet away. He felt like he should stay out of it, since this was personal family business.

He looked up though as Asuna approached him with a happy smile.

"Kazuto, i owe you my thanks" she bowed softly to him.

He blushed a little as his mistress bowed to him, and he looked at her flustered.

"W-What do you mean, miss?" he asked with an embarrassed smile "I haven't really done anything"

"No, i mean it. Thanks" She said with a giggle and a smile at his embarrassed expression "If you hadn't taken Yui out to play, she would have been witness to me and my mother's fight. And she doesn't like seeing her mother upset. So seriously, thank you very much"

She bowed once again, and Kazuto grew even more flustered as he waved his hands in defense.

"No seriously, anyone responsible would have done something at the like" He said with an embarrassed smile "I'm assistant teacher for Yui anyway. I'm supposed to be protective of her"

"That's true" Asuna said with a smile "Anyway, i've noticed how you've been avoiding me lately"

He frowned quietly as his mind raced back to the conversation he had had with Asuna's father a few days ago.

 _"I want you to stay clear of my daughter"_

His expression turned grim, and Asuna sighed and rolled her eyes.

"It's my father isn't it?"

"Huh!? H-How did you-"

"My parents are trying to find a suitable suitor for me" She mumbled with a bit of disgust hidden in her voice "They won't let me choose myself, since they don't trust my ability to _'_ ensure my future'. Even my father is in on this"

She frowned quietly and sighed.

"I don't have any freedom in this home" She mumbled quietly, Kazuto watching her with a worried expression "But since i had that talk with Sasha, I'm convinced that i have to stay here and fix it, rather than running away"

Kazuto nodded quietly and frowned. He was worried on her behalf, but didn't know whether or not he had the right to meddle with her affairs. Then again, she talked to him because she wanted him to listen to her problem.

"What do you think Kazuto?"

He looked at her, a little surprised that she wanted his input as well.

"Huh? About the whole, arranged marriage thing?"

She nodded.

"Well... I don't think it's right. But then again, i don't have any right to meddle in this situation"

"Of course you do, i asked for your opinion, right?" Asuna asked with a mischievous smile "So now you have permission to meddle as much as you want"

"Hmm, i don't know..."

"Come on, let's walk together as we talk"

He became ever so much flustered as his master asked him to walk with her. He couldn't approach her like this, could he? He might lose his job if Mr. Yuuki saw him with his daughter. But nevertheless, he still followed after the beautiful young woman in front of him.

"So, how do you like your job here, Kazuto?"

she asked this as they walked out to the veranda overlooking the beautiful garden of their mansion, a set of stairs leading down to the ground and to the garden.

"Well, i love it so far" He mumbled with a trying smile, barely daring to look at her "The pay is good, and my bosses are nice. Besides, I've met a lot of wonderful people here already"

"Like who?"

He looked over at Asuna again. Her beautiful chestnut hair waved behind her as a breeze picked up in the summer-touched garden, giving her profile a touch of femininity and grace. He had never seen someone so beautiful before, and he could feel his heart pound in his chest harder for every nanosecond he looked at her.

He finally forced himself to look away and distract himself with the beauty of the garden instead, though he didn't find it near as beautiful as her.

"Ryutaro for example" He said with a smile "He's a really great guy, funny as well. It turns out he's a friend of one of my childhood friends in town"

"Oh, really?" She asked with a smile and a nod "Yeah, i hang out with him as well. He's a really great guy"

Kazuto widened his eyes as he realized she didn't talk as fancy as she used to do when at the dinner table, or when she was talking with a family member. A wishful thought ran through his mind.

'Is this because she's comfortable around me?'

The thought humbled him a bit and the both of them fell silent. They both stood there and took in the scenery, the wind silently dying down. To Asuna, this was a sight she had seen a thousand times before. It couldn't humble her anymore, the old garden.

But to Kazuto, it was still a sight he had to get used to. The entire idea that he really was working in a fancy mansion, to a pay that he could only have ever dreamt of. Him and his aunt was safe, his family was safe. This was the one thing he had wanted for several years now, and finally, somehow, he had achieved it.

"Anyway, uhm... Kazuto?"

Asuna broke the silence between them, and Kazuto was surprised by the sudden red hue on her cheeks.

"Y-Yes miss?"

"Not miss, Asuna"

"Oh uhm, i'm sorry. Yes Asuna?"

"Uhm, well... My parents are arranging this social party in town later this week and i thought..."

He looked up at her in confusion. Did she want him to go with her?

"Well, i kind of need a dance partner for the evening, so would you like to go?"

He felt his heart leap a few centimeters in his chest. She really wanted him to go there with her? As her dance partner no less!? He felt so surprised that he couldn't help but yelp a little in surprise.

"huh!? W-Why!?"

"W-Well..." The blush on her cheeks rose a little before she continued "It's because... I'm too much of a friend towards the employees here at the mansion... I know the males really well here, and it would just seem weird. And besides, i don't know if i want to dance with another girl..."

He felt a knot tighten up his heart in nervousness. He didn't even know how to dance. He had never had a chance (or need) to learn how to dance before now. How could he ever get ready?!

"W-Well, i don't really know how to dance, so..."

"W-Well, i can teach you!" She seemed a bit more excited than he would have thought "I know the steps, and we can use the foyer as a dance floor!"

"B-b-But if your dad finds out!? He'll fire me!"

"He's going to work at the company for a while. the next couple of months or so. He won't even attend the social party, surprisingly. He loves those parties"

"W-Well uhm... If i don't get fired for it... I don't think i will mind..."

He trailed off from embarrasment, and Asuna lighted up like a star.

"Really!? Thank you so much!"

She yelped in excitement and jumped up and down like a child. Wasn't she supposed to be 18 years old? And normally she would act so prim and proper. But, Kazuto couldn't say he didn't find the whole thing cute.

"Alright, so come to the foyer at 11 AM, tomorrow, okay?" She said excitedly as she stuck her hand out "Let's do a good job, partner"

She beamed like a lighthouse, and Kazuto smiled a little as he shook her hand and nodded.

"Alright"

* * *

The following morning, Kazuto had put on something loose, since they would be dancing after all. Gym pants and a loose t-shirt seemed to be enough, which was something he borrowed from Ryutaro. He sighed quietly as he waited for Asuna. he had personally seen Mr. Yuuki off from the entrance, so he knew he was gone. But still, he couldn't help but look around every now and again to check if it really was true.

Just as he looked around him for the fourth time, he saw Asuna on her way down to him, in a set consisting of a short sleeved short shirt, which revealed a bit of her belly, and a set of short workout shorts. he smiled subconsciously as he saw her, and turned towards her with a smile.

"Hey" Asuna said with a smile "Ready to dance?"

He blushed a little at the question, but nodded after releasing a breath he had subconsciously held in as he waited for his dance partner.

"As ready as i can get, i guess..."

"Hey, how about some confidence? You don't think i can teach you?"

"It's not your teaching. It's my clumsy feet"

"Come on, it's easy enough. Here, I'll show you"

She finally landed at the foot of the stairs and walked over towards him, taking a firm grip of his arms.

"First, you need to hold one arm on mine, while the other hand rests on my hip, like this"

She instructed him on how do stand, and where to put his hands on her body, before she stood the proper way as well. He blushed quietly as their bodies came close, and he realised that his hand was touching the naked space on her stomach under her shirt.

'skin to skin... Man, this is more embarrassing than i thought'

Asuna herself enjoyed herself. Not only his awkward way of standing, but his embarrassed expression on his features amused her to no degree. She enjoyed teasing him like this, and she found it fun.

In the beginning, his posture and his steps was sloppy, slow and uncoordinated. but gradually, as they practised, he got more and more into it. And by the end of the week, he had learned the dance to almost perfection. Asuna and Kazuto, by the end of the week, we're completely in sync with one another. One of them took a step, and the other immediately followed with their own step. Kazuto had even gotten used to them being so close while they danced, so he didn't blush anymore, which Asuna found to be a bummer.

When the day for the social party finally came, Kazuto stood and looked at himself in the mirror as he wore his tuxedo. He had never worn something like this before. He was getting nervous that he would embarrass himself, or more importantly Asuna, during the social party.

Just as he was standing and fixing the last appropriates, he heard a knock on his door.

"Come in!"

His voice was filled with determination, despite his nervousness. That nervousness quickly faded when he saw Asuna on the other side. He blushed quietly and released a breath as he saw the beautiful woman on the other side. With a long purple dress that fit her curves perfectly, with beautiful curvy golden and red patterns on the front of her chest, along with white frills along the bottom. A huge golden necklace was bound around her neck, covering the most of her cleavage along with a set of matching golden earrings.

With a bit of rouge on her cheeks and perfectly laid red lipstick on her lips, Kazuto found himself at a loss for words. He could only stand there and mumble, as a blush crept onto Asuna's cheeks as she stepped into his room.

"H-How do i look?"

Even as she waited for an answer from him, he couldn't bring himself to open his mouth in astonishment.

"Y-Y-You look.. wow..."

She smiled quietly and her blush darkened a bit as she looked up at him.

"Thank you. You look very nice as well. Did Ryutaro give you that tux?"

"Y-Yeah, he did. He's bigger than me, so he gave me one that's a couple of years old" He said with an obvious blush on his cheeks "Do i look okay?"

"You look wonderful!"

She blurted out the words without realizing, and soon covered her mouth in embarrassment.

"U-Uhm, so let's get going, we'll end up late if we stall anymore"

Asuna quickly nodded in relief as he said it, sparing her from doing it herself.

"Y-Yeah, let's get going"

He blushed a bit as he walked beside his partner for the night, blushing at the thought of what was yet to come. He blushed dark red as he offered her his arm, and without hesitation and with a little smile, she took at gracefully.

"Thank you. What a gentleman"

He could feel how his heart jumped in his chest, as they walked down into the foyer. In the foyer, they met up with Sasha, and Asuna's big brother Kouichiro, who was also dressed up in a tuxedo of his own. Kouichiro seemed surprised that Asuna was willing to ignore her father's orders about suitors at first, but as they talked him into it, he gave up. He knew how stubborn his sister could become anyway.

And with that, they broke away from Sasha after saying goodbye and trudged into the limo. Kazuto took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. he didn't know it himself, but he was on his way to one of the most important parties of his life.

 **A/N**

 **Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed this chapter of A Forbidden Love.**

 **Whew, it's awesome to be back. I've missed this so much, and I've missed YOU GUYS so much. I can't wait to write more, despite having to upload once a month because of my schedule.**

 **The support you guys have sent me during my absence has been absolutely astonishing. I didn't know so many people cared about me beyond my stories, and I am so lucky to have you guys by my side through tough times. Seriously, thank you so much.**

 **Anyway, once again, I hope you guys enjoyed, and I will see you again next time. Peace out.**


	10. Chapter 10 - The Dance Of A Lifetime

_Sword Art Online_

 _A Forbidden Love_

 _Chapter 10 – The Dance Of A Lifetime_

~In the limo on the way to the party, Kazuto's POV~

Kazuto was sweating from nervousness all the way in the limo on the way to the social event. Tonight he was going to dance. Not only dance, which was something he had never done legitimately, but he was going to be dancing with the lady of the house he was working in, a beautiful young woman. He was so nervous, but also very excited.

His breath was braited and he kept pulling at the collar of his tux to breath, since he felt like he was about to choke if he would sit in that damn limo for a minute longer.

Finally, the dreaded moment came. A man in a sharp serving suit walked over and opened the door in Asuna's side, while Kazuto let himself out on the other. Asuna cast a short smile over at him, and he blushed slightly as he nodded at her.

'She said that her father wouldn't be here, but...' he thought to himself 'But what about her mother? She wasn't in the limo with us so... If she really is here, where is she? And will she flip out if she sees us together like this?'

He gulped silently and pulled at his collar one final time, before offering his arm out for Asuna to take as he stepped up to her side. She blushed, her chestnut hair flowing behind her as a breeze rolled over the parking space as she gracefully gripped onto his arm, and they stepped inside the massive hotel foyer.

The place was beyond anything Kazuto had ever expected. A red carped was folded out from the door and further into the foyer and up the stairs to the upper floors over a marble floor, the pillars looking like they were made out of solid gold. A huge and graceful fountain was sat in the corner beside the stairs to the upper floors, only adding to the grandious feel of the situation.

Giant gold chandeliers with crystal-formed glass hanging from the ceiling, gracious figures and curves carved into fillets of the walls, stiff waiters walking around and offering drinks to everyone in high red suits, and a live band of at least six members. To the right there was a huge arching doorway, to something that looked like a big open restaurant-like area, with a big empty space in the back, which seemed to be used as a dancefloor.

That huge room was even more gracious as the goyer, and it was something Kazuto had never even hoped to experience in his lifetime.

And yet, he was here. With one of the most beautiful girls in the world. How could he ever have gotten so lucky?

Once they stepped further into the party, Asuna immediately called over a waiter. She had participated in these kinds of parties before, so maybe she was used to calling people over so casually? It was something Kazuto had a hard time imagining.

"You don't drink, do you Kazuto?" She asked as she lifted one of the drinks off the tray the waiter was holding.

"No, not particularly" He said with a wry smile "I never really had money for drinking, since my aunt drank everything. And even so, i'm below legal age"

He could feel a few gazes his way when he talked about his drinking aunt, and he quickly clasped a hand over his mouth to shut himself up.

"Damn, i should watch what i'm saying here" he mumbled softly as he tried to ignore the gazes "Party or no party, it's still a whole new part of society"

She smiled softly and took another drink from the waiter's tray, before offering him to take it.

"A single drink can't hurt, right?" She asked sweetly.

Her sweet smile and innocent gaze made it so he couldn't help himself but accept the drink from his partner. But he barely even managed to lift the glass up to his lips and take a sip of the see-through bubbling liquid, when...

"Ohoho, i didn't know the quality for suitors had dropped so drastically"

Suddenly, Kazuto heard an ice cold voice from behind and quickly spun around to look at Asuna, who's gaze was firmly locked at one particular person. He felt a weird ice-cold feeling as he saw the tall man stride over to them.

"Ms. Yuuki, good to see you again, my dear"

It was a tall man. His hair was put up nicely, though with way too much wax. His eyes were hiding behind a thin set of glasses, but despite that, Kazuto still got a distinct feeling that his eyes had a simple resemplance to that of a snake's.

He wore a fancy white suit with a red undershirt and a red rose in his breast pocket, but his slimy tone of voice and his rude tone only made Kazuto all the more revolted of being near him, though he might see charismatic to some other people.

"Skip the pleasantries, Nobuyuki" It didn't seem like Asuna liked him either "What do you gain from approachin me like this? I already rejected you"

Kazuto looked over at her with a surprised expression. So this slimy asshole had tried to win her heart and failed? He didn't know if it was her parents that had approved of him, or if he had approached on his own, but either way, his gut feeling told him that this was a guy you wanted to stay clear of.

"My, my, why so hostile, sweety?" He asked as his upper lip contracted into a crooked smile "We're going to be married soon enough, after all"

"We are NOT, gonna be engaged, and you know that fully well Sugou" Asuna had an angry glare in her features now. Kazuto had never seen her this angry.

He frowned quietly as he looked up at the person standing opposite of him. Sugou Nobuyuki. The name rang a bell for him, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

In any case, he felt like this awful conversation had gone on for long enough, and decided to take a decisive step between his partner for the evening, and the ma that had come to ruin it.

"I'm not sure if you have problems sir," He mumbled as he fit the gloves on his hands a bit "But unless you do, i think the lady told you to back away"

Sugou's expression turned into one of mild annoyance.

"And who are you to intervene, boy?" He asked with a glare "Who even are you?"

"My identity does not matter, sir" Kazuto shot back, his eyes full of determination "But unless you back off immediately, i will call the police for harrasment"

Sugou rolled his eyes and chuckled quietly.

"Hehe, as much as i would simply LOVE, to spent my night in a jailcell, i have more important things to take care of. Take care, both of you now. Tata"

And with that, he turned his back to them, waved his hand, and walked back into the crowd, soon dissapearing from view. Asuna sighed once he was gone, and turned to look at Kazuto.

"Thank you so much" she mumbled as she let out a breath she had held onto "I don't think i would be able to fend him off alone"

"Who was that creep?" He asked as he looked back over his shoulder in the direction Sugou had went "He seemed so slimy and... Creepy..."

"Yeah, i can't understand how my parents picked him either" She mumbled with a sigh "But he acts completely different around them, so i don't blame them"

He looked at her with a frown. If Sugou was only one such suitor that they had tried to make Asuna accept, then how many slimy and greezy people has she had to make her way through? Of course he didn't think all of them was like that bastard, but still, he might not be the only one out of the bunch. It must have been a close resemblance to torture.

"Anyway, we're not here to be all gloomy, we're here to socialize!" Asuna said with a beaming smile, raising the drink she had grabbed earlier "To a great evening!"

She smiled at him softly as she offered him a toast. It was only then that he realized that he was still holding onto his own drink, and he blushed as he raised his own glass for toasting.

"Cheers" He said with a smile, their glasses clinking together before they each took a few sips of their drinks.

Kazuto widened his eyes as the bubbly liquid hit his tastebuds. He had never tried alcohol before, and this was a taste unlike anything he had tried before. The taste was a mild one, but still felt like it was going to his head. He smiled quietly as he let a sip or two more run down his throat.

"Mmm, this tastes surprisingly good" He said with a smile as he looked over at his partner "Is this champagne or something?"

"It is, yes" She said with a smile "I'm surprised you know it, given your background"

She said the last bit in a bit more restrained voice, so no one would hear it. He smiled softly and chuckled.

"I've been serving dinner for you and your family, after all" He said with a smile "It's common for you guys to have champagne with dinner, isn't it?"

"It is, yes"

They stood by the food table for a while, simply conversing and having a good time. Every now and then, Kazuto got a weird glance from one of the other party guests, but he tried to ignore them and focus on Asuna instead, which he didn't have a single problem with.

After a while, the two walked around, and onversed with Asuna's aquaintances around at the party, and she introduced him wherever they went. He felt nervous as to how he was supposed to act around the upper class, but he decided to try and relax. Acting uptight certainly wouldn't do him any good.

After a while of socializing, chatting and, (more than he wanted to admit) drinking, Asuna looked over at him, a red hue over her cheeks. Kazuto was not sure if it was because she was shy of their still linked arms or if it was because she was starting to become drunk, since they had at least 3 or 4 glasses of champagne each, but he didn't mind at all. He found her slightly blushing expression cute after all.

"Listen, Kazuto," She said with a smile "I didn't use all week to teach you to dance for nothing right? Come on, let's find the dance floor"

he blushed quietly at her words as she pulled at his arm, a bit more forcefully than usual, probably because of the alcohol in her system. He didn't mind dancing with her though, and he had a bit of confidence that he would be able to at least get through the dance in one piece.

He smiled and followed her through what was the huge dining room, until they approached the dance floor, which was already filled to the brim with lovely couples. Somewhere over in the corner, the same Nobuyuki guy was talking with a couple of older men, both in stiff suits. Kazuto frowned quietly as he saw them out of the corner of his eye, but decided to concentrate on Asuna.

As she pulled him along to the dancefloor, a new song had just started being played from the live band, so they didn't rush as they got into position. Kazuto could easily remember the way he was supposed to stand, and his hand quickly found their place on his partner's shoulder and slender hip. He could see her blush deepening a bit as their bodies approached each other.

He smiled quietly as they began to sway and twirl to the music. He could feel the romantic setting in the air, and how the world around them seemed to be whisked away. He felt like he couldn't pry his eyes of hers, and they had eyecontact the entire time they danced. They didn't even have to watch for other pairs, as their dancing was perfect and coordinated.

He only saw her. He hadn't been certain what he had felt for her ever since he arrived at her many million yen mansion, but now he knew. When he gazed into her lovely eyes, and when he heard the music in the background. When he felt the bottom of her dress brush against his ankles, and when he heard the tapping of her high heels remenate through the room and the noise that surrounded them...

There was no question in his mind. Within the short months he had lived in the Yuuki mansion, he had gone and done what he himself had thought impossible, and trespassed upon forbidden territory. He had not a single doubt in his mind.

He had fallen in love with the beautiful woman of the house. The woman of the father to which he had sworn to never touch. Just the fact that he was here with her tonight, was enough for him to fear not only losing his job, but the roof over his and his aunt's head that he so graciously had been given.

But still, somehow, he had ended up here. With his hands on her body, he was now dancing with the woman he had admired for her beauty. The same woman who would turn out to be his doom if it was ever discovered that he had danced like this with her.

But somehow, he still didn't care. The fact that he was here, with her, that beautiful woman. Something like that made his mind shut anything else out. Not even the fear of her parents figuring them out could ruin this moment for him. The moment that seemed to last an eternity.

When the song slowly faded out to silence, the dining crowd around them gave a quiet applause to the band, but also to the dancing guests. Asuna looked around the crowd with an evident blush, having seemingly forgotten there were anyone else in the dining hall other than the two of them.

"I-I need some fresh air after all that dancing" She mumbled as she put a shy hand to her breast "Should we go to the balcony?"

He nodded softly and pulled at his shirt collar with his free hand. Suddenly, he could feel his body heat up from embarrasment.

"S-Sure. It suddenly got hot in here" He mumbled, breathing a bit deeply as they walked into the foyer. From there, they went towards the elevator off to the side.

"This place has a balcony?" He asked softly as they walked into the elevator, and Asuna softly pressed the button for top floor.

"Yes, there is" She said with a smile "My family happens to own the hotel. When we sleep overnight in town, we usually use our penthouse on the top floor, which has a connected balcony"

"Wow..." he mumbled softly, looking upwards as he expected for the elevator to stop elevating.

He gulped quietly at the thought. He didn't know if she thought any deeper into it, but he was about to see one of Asuna's family's private spaces, a place where they would come and go on weekends and maybe even vacations. He felt nervous at the thought, but also a bit humbled.

As the elevator stopped moving upwards and the doors swung open, Kazuto's eyes widened for the second time that evening. The penthouse apartment they stepped into didn't fit with the grand and pompous feel of the foyer and dining hall downstairs at all.

This was a much more modern place, the perfect place for the rich family to reside. The living room was directly connected to the kitchen, only separated from the white and clean kitchen counter. The kitchen was filled to the brim with all the newest cooking equipment, something that Kazuto had only dreamt to use when he was taking care of himself and his aunt.

He saw an offgoing hall both past the living room and the kitchen, but he didn't have much time to wonder where they led, as Asuna was quick to pull him along through the room and over to a set of glass doors, which she swiftly pulled to the side. She subconsciously let go of his arm as she worked the door, but as she reached back towards him again, she took his hand in her own, making his face explode in a rupture of red.

As she pulled him along to the balcony, a sea of stars erupted in front their faces. The night sky was completely clear, giving them the wonderful view of space covering the night sky. Asuna's eyes widened softly at the prospect, and Kazuto's smile widened along with them.

"This is beautiful" he mumbled softly as he leaned against the railing beside her "Is it always like this around here?"

"Not always, but it happens more in summer rather than winter" She said with a soft smile "I used to love it when we came here as a family..."

Her smile dropped a bit at the thought in her head, and Kazuto felt a tinge of worry. He quickly asked without even thinking.

"You used to? What happened to make you love it less?" He asked softly, moving a bit closer to her.

"It was here that mother began talking about marriage" She mumbled with a frown "Last summer"

He frowned quietly at the thought. To ask a 17 year old girl to marry a man she didn't even know... He felt disgusted by the thought.

"Well, i don't think you have to worry Asuna" He mumbled softly as he made her look at him "You have your own will, your own train of thoughts... Your own feelings. You can't just let go of them so easily"

She looked up at him with a hue of red on her cheeks.

"As long as you keep fighting, your parents will have to give up eventually" he mumbled softly "At least, that's what i think"

She nodded softly and let her gaze fall. Even so, he could see that the blush on her cheeks was growing deeper, like she was pondering on something embarrasing.

"Kazuto... You've helped me ever since you came to the mansion..."

Her voice was so low that he could barely here it. He was left wondering what she meant, before she nodded softly to herself and looked up at him with a resolute expression, as if she had made a decision for herself.

She took a step towards him, and he felt his face burn. She was standing incredibly close to him all of a sudden.

"And for that... I must give you my thanks" she mumbled, her blush deepening even further.

She took a small step further, and her hand slowly reached up to cup his cheek. He felt how his heart almost stopped in his chest from surprise and embarrasment, as a wind picked up over the young pair. Asuna's chestnut hair began to wave through the air gracefully, adding even more to her iminent beauty.

He looked on in surprise as he saw Asuna close her eyes and pluck her lips a bit, inviting him to press his own lips on them. He felt a knot tie up in his throat, and he stared at her for what felt like several minutes.

He hesitated a bit, but let the breath that had caught in his throat go, and took the final step forward. He felt his breath quicken, before closing his own eyes and finally feeling the sensation he had longed for all night.

It was soft, and slick. The feeling of her lips against his send a wave of warmth and electricity throughout his entire body, as his arms seemed to move on their own and wrap around her waist, pulling her in, closer to his own body. She didn't resist for a second, willingly letting her body be embraced.

Her hands stayed on his cheeks for a while, before they ran down and wrapped around his neck, making their embrace even closer and tighter. Their lips kept locking in an intense and passionate kiss that seemed to last forever.

As they pulled away from each other, both of their breaths were baited, and their face red with heat. They even panted a bit. That was how long their kiss had lasted.

"W-Why?"

The words slipped through his lips without him registering. He truly wanted to know as well.

"Y-You've given me courage to tell my parents off" She mumbled softly "I am truly grateful for that, and... I feel like... I should give you back for everything you've done to support me..."

"I haven't done much..." he mumbled with a small smile "Only a bit of encouragement... And you shouldn't feel like you owe me anything... Especially not like this..."

He felt how the grip around his neck tightened and he grew a bit more flustered.

"I know... But i want to do this with you" She whispered, before pressing her lips to his once again.

He didn't resist. A wave of pleasure and heat, even greater than the first one rolled over him as he pressed his lips towards hers as well, tightening his grip around her waist in a loving embrace.

A wind rolled over them as they kissed passionately, and he felt a second thought run through his mind.

'If it is courage she needs... Then i would give it to her forever... If this is what she needs... Then i will be there... Until the end of time'


	11. Chapter 11 - The Night Where Love Blooms

_~DISCLAIMER~_

 _This is a lemon chapter, meaning that it will include sexually graphic content, not suitable for people under the age of 18+. If you do not wish to read material as such, please skip this entire chapter. Read at your own discretion. It will also probably be a bit longer than what I usually do, since it is my very first lemon._

 _Thank you._

 _Sword Art Online_

 _Forbidden Love_

 _Chapter 11 – The Night Forbidden Love Blooms_

~The Hotel Balcony, Kazuto's POV~

One huffy breath after another blew through Kazuto's nose as he continued to kiss with his destined lover, making him almost sound like an angry bull. His lips continued to lock with hers intensely, another intense wave of heat overwhelming him every time he felt her lips press onto his own, making him want her even more lustfully than before.

The breeze above them had no effect on the increasing heat in his body, and the buzzing feeling that seemed to sit everywhere, just under his skin, only seemed to increase in strength with every second more he spent with this wonderful woman in his arms.

He felt how her body began sinking into his own, and he wrapped his arms and his grip tighter around her, their embrace warm and loving.

He suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to run his hands along her body, to feel her skin against his own. He felt a lust like he had never felt before, and he realized he wanted more than just a simple kiss.

As Asuna let out a moan and parted her lips a little bit, he was not late to register what she invited him to do. He moved his tongue a little and let it graze her upper lip, almost as if asking for permission before Asuna nodded softly and hummed quietly in confirmation.

Her hum had barely left her lips before something else occupied them, the tongue of her lover. She felt an even more intense heat from the pit of her stomach and up to her face, her blush from before reaching newer heights. Her breath was baited every time they would part to get air, only to smash their lips back together a split-second later, an intense passion neither of them had ever felt between them rising over their surroundings.

It didn't take long for Asuna to be surprised once again as she suddenly felt the hands that the man in front of her had firmly wrapped around her waist just a second ago, was slowly tracing around the curve of her upper butt and moving down. She felt a squeal of surprise form in her throat but she held it back, feeling like if anyone could touch her like that, it would be him.

He himself was surprised by his own actions. Having never had any experience with things quite like this before, he was surprised of his own courage and curious exploring of her body. He didn't know if it was the alcohol taking control, or if he had simply lost his mind. He just knew he wanted her. And it had to be tonight.

As a shiver ran over Asuna, he broke their passionate liplock and stared into her eyes as he leaned his forehead against hers, both of their breaths panting and deep. He looked into her eyes as he felt a shiver run through her body.

"Are you cold?" He asked her silently, his lip only grazing the skin of her ear.

She nodded silently and wrapped her arms a bit tighter around his neck, wanting only to be so much closer to him.

"A little"

The lullaby of her voice was like angel song in his ear. The stronger he could feel and hear her presence, the lighter he felt. It was almost like he was swimming in a sea of ecstasy.

"Let's go inside then" he mumbled as he pulled away and wrapped a warm arm around her shoulders instead "It is actually getting cold out here"

She nodded softly, feeling protected in the embrace of her new lover. She felt like nothing in the world could ever affect her anymore. Even Sugou could pop up suddenly and she still felt like his presence would only seem like the presence of a fly on the wall, as long as she was by Kazuto's side.

She had no idea why her feelings towards Kazuto was so strong. In the months that they had lived underneath the same roof, she had only had a few close interactions with him, mainly their dancing lessons and their walk in the garden. But still, she couldn't fight the fact that deep within her heart, she still loved the young man that was currently escorting her inside her family's private suite.

She felt like he was the only one, that cared for what she wanted, the only one who ever saw her opinion of things as something worth his time. Not only that, but despite the direct warning from her father, telling him to stay away from her, he had come forth, only for concern of her, and her wellbeing. This was the reason that she loved him so dearly, and that she was willing to give him anything in the world, as long as he would stay by her side.

As they walked in through the double doors of the balcony, the breeze made one last weak attempt at playing with their hair and Asuna's dress skirt, before Kazuto closed the doors behind them, and turned to smile at his partner, his lover. Barely had he done this before Asuna pressed herself against his chest and smashed her lips onto his once again.

He felt his face retract in surprise but soften as the shock had been whisked away by the feeling of his lover's lips towards his own, and he soon found his arms wrapping around her waist once again, the cool wall pressing against his back as Asuna forcefully pressed upon him.

He let a small whimper-like moan escape his lips and within short time, he found his hands shoot up to pull the straps on her shoulders down, and she wasn't one to object. Before they both knew what happened they had ended up on the couch in the living room, with her on top of him, their lips continuing to lock in a passionate battle for dominance over the other.

Asuna blushed and laid down on top of her lover, before removing her lips from his and smirking quietly. She chuckled quietly at his baffled expression before leaning down and giggling sugar sweetly in his ear.

"I can almost feel the desire in your body, Kazuto…"

He felt his pupils shrink down to the size of pinheads, and a nasty shiver run down his spine. A tickling sensation of the teasing from his lover, a form of teasing he had never received from anyone at that fact. It was a sensation he could never have imagined.

"W-What do you mean with that?"

She giggled a dangerously innocent giggle and smirked as she leaned downwards and began to trace the slick surface of her tongue over the nape of his neck, a ripple and a shiver running through his body once again. A moan escaped his lips as he stared up at the girl that was currently sending jolts of electricity through his entire body with her actions.

Nothing that had happened that evening could have prepared him for this feeling, the feeling of her soft and sticky tongue against the skin of his neck, the tickling sensation in his groin that came from it.

Something else he had realized, was that Asuna seemed like a completely different woman in such a setting as this. In intimate moments such as this, with a lover receiving her pleasures, she seemed confident, daring and almost impish. Nothing like the prim and proper lady from the mansion.

Not one to be defeated so easily though, instead of just letting Asuna give and give, and getting nothing in return, he lifted his arm and pressed a hand to his lover's right breast, giving it a healthy squeeze and earning a bright blush and a moan from his beloved. He smirked a bit and bit his lip as he moved his hand around, letting her flesh move around in his palm, slowly.

"I must say, you have the most wonderful body, dear" he smirked a bit as he continued to move his hand around on her breast "What size?"

She moaned again and glared down at him playfully, not swatting away his hand or badmouthing him, but smiled and let him continue his reckless assault.

"C cup" She said with a small smile "You seem to have quite the interest in the female body"

"Well, I am a guy in my best years" Kazuto retorted with a smirk "It would only be natural"

She giggled quietly and smirked as she pressed her body closer to him.

"It's funny, I thought you would be a lot shyer than you are" Kazuto said with a smirk "I didn't know you would be so comfortable in a situation like this"

"Hmm, maybe I just need this that badly" She teased again, before returning to what she was originally doing, namely pleasuring her lover over his neck.

Another shiver and a moan escaped Kazuto's body as he now proceeded to pull down the straps on his partner's shoulders even further, and look up at her with a smirk. Asuna was not late to register his intentions, and she quickly sat up before she slowly, teasingly, began to pull her dress over her body, and discarded it to the floor, as it was no longer needed.

Kazuto smiled and blushed quietly as he gazed at Asuna's half naked assets. Her underwear was pink, cute and frilly, but at the same time made of just enough material, so his eyes could have a feast, while at the same time protecting her body from his gaze. It was undeniably sexy in his eyes, but at the same time, he saw them as an obstacle before the real prize.

In retort to her undressing, he quickly pulled his jacket and shirt off, revealing his torso. Asuna smiled as she gazed down on him, letting her long hair locks trail along the skin of his torso, almost making him giggle from the tickling sensation.

"Sorry, does it tickle?" Asuna asked with a smile and a giggle.

"A bit yeah, but I can take it" He answered, before reaching up and meeting her lips once again.

She felt herself melt as their tongues began to battle again, intensely and passionately. Her body rested against his and she smiled as it felt like their bodies melted together from the heat of their passion.

Kazuto smiled quietly and closed his eyes as he let her rest her body against him. To think, that only the thin fabric of her underwear, and his jeans, was separating them by now. It annoyed him, and so he proceeded to work on the click-lock of her bra, quickly managing to open it and look up at Asuna with a smile.

His sudden fiddling with her bra had made her jump a little, but not enough to get her to make him stop, or for him to stop what he was doing. It slowly sagged around her breasts and shoulders, before she giggled and pulled it down and tossed it on the floor, leaving her upper body free for Kazuto to see.

He blushed quietly as he gazed at her breasts, trying to keep eye contact, but failing miserably at doing so, making Asuna break out in a giggle and a mad blush.

"My eyes are up here, mister" She said teasingly as she let her body fall down against his chest again, keeping her face close to his. She of course knew that this would only make her breasts push against his chest, much to her enjoyment, as it only made her loved one squirm and moan under her.

"You just love teasing me, don't you?" He mumbled under a huffy breath "Man, this is going to become too much"

"I don't doubt that, there's proof right here" Asuna giggled, before looking down and smirking as she saw what she was looking for, a hard bulge through Kazuto's jeans.

She bit her lip as she began to run her palmed hand over the bulge, earning even more delightful moans from her partner, his skin seemingly crippling with pleasure.

"I won't… Give in, like this" Kazuto finally managed to gasp, before he reached up and turned her around, laying her down on her back.

Asuna gave off a quiet yelp as Kazuto suddenly turned forceful, and the feeling of the fabric leaving her hips and legs gave her quite the surprise. She lifted her legs and upper body to help him remove the last fabric on her body.

"Tch, so impatient" She giggled quietly "You don't waste time. Fine, my turn"

Within a few moments, Kazuto's jeans and boxers was also removed, mostly by Asuna's hands, and as she finally pulled down Kazuto's boxers, his member, hardened as it was, sprung up as it was released from the fabrical confinements. Asuna was surprised at how it sprung up at her, but she smiled and bit her lip as she soon wrapped a hand around it, her cold fingers to his body earning a sharp gasp from her lover.

She began moving her hand up and down along his length, earning an occasional grunt from her lover, before giggling and running a finger around the head, making him shiver all over, his member hardening in her hand. She enjoyed being in control, but at the same time, she wanted to know how it would feel to be the dominated.

She giggled and pushed his member down onto his stomach, before sitting on top of his lower area and flinching a bit from the feeling of his tip rubbing against her privates.

"So… It's finally happening huh?" Asuna asked quietly, looking down at partner "We're finally having… Sex, huh?"

It seemed the playful and impish Asuna was fading a little bit, and replaced by a bit of a shy and nervous girl, now that the act was finally about to happen.

"Y-Yeah" He mumbled quietly, finding her hand and twining his fingers with hers "Are you scared?"

She didn't know whether to shake her head, or not. She wasn't exactly sure of the answer, so she just raised her shoulders in a shrug.

"I don't know… I fear pain, but… I am sure that you will take good care of me" She added with a giggle, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Are you ready?"

She gave him a light nod and smiled at him sweetly.

"Make me yours, Kazuto"

With this last whisper, she leaned down and locked her lips with his once again, waiting for him to begin what would ultimately become the best night of both of their lives. They moaned quietly against one another as Kazuto used his right hand to aim his member against her entrance.

His tip began to edge its way between the folds of her entrance, all the while Asuna's moans increased in intensity. She could feel the sting of pain beginning to increase, until a tearing feeling began to run along her upper abdomen. She groaned quietly, a hiss escaping her lips from pain.

"S-Should I stop?" He asked in worry. Despite his half-drunken state, he could still see that his beloved was in pain, and he pushed some hair away from her face so that he could see her properly.

"N-No… Keep going" She whispered as she smiled down at him, her face contorted a bit in pain "I want this to be… The night where… We connect for the first time"

He looked up at Asuna with a small smile, before pulling her down and kissing her deeply, continuing to push deeper and deeper inside her. She groaned against his lips and her face distorted in pain, despite this though, a smile was on her lips, as the tearing pain began to disappear. She panted a bit as she watched blood run down from her womanhood, and her smile widened as she realized it was finally done.

Her virginity was taken.

He looked up at her in worry, but not without flinching a bit himself. He was only just getting used to her inner body tightening around his member, and it was an overwhelming feeling.

They both breathed deeply as they smiled and gazed at each other, before Asuna leaned down and kissed him deeply.

"You can move now…" She whispered silently, both of their bodies trembling.

He nodded quietly and began to raise his hips, silent hisses and moans beginning to echo throughout the apartment. Small glittering sweat pearls began to appear on his forehead as their movements got faster and faster, the pain in Asuna's abdomen slowly disappearing, and being replaced with pleasure.

Her chest was bouncing as she began following Kazuto's movements, and raised her body with each thrust. He thrusted deeper and deeper inside her, the pleasure intense.

A million thoughts was running through young Kazuto's mind at the same time, occasionally abrupted by a sudden wave of intense pleasure. He was really doing this, with someone as perfect as her. To have sex with a girl as incredible as her, to have taken her virginity like this. To him there was nothing more wonderful.

He decided to concentrate a bit less on the feeling and began observing her on top of him. His impatience from before hadn't let him concentrate on her enough, his want to be together with her, to be like this with her, had made him impatient and greedy. But now that they were finally doing this lover's act, he began to notice how beautiful her body truly was.

Not only did she have a beautiful face, but a wonderful body as well. Thin and curvy waist that would run out in a beautiful set of hips, and her arms was long and slender, her skin, without the smallest mistake, pale white and beautiful.

He had experienced on several occasions how young girls wanted to be thinner so they could become beautiful. Asuna on the other hand, didn't need any of that. She was plump in all the right places, so much that it made Kazuto reach up and pinch her a little just to tease her, though he refrained, as he wanted her to enjoy herself as much as possible. Her hair traced down her bare back in long locks of bright chestnut, now and then tickling his skin as she was bouncing on top of him.

He suddenly felt an incredible urge to be closer to her, and he reached up and wrapped his arms around her waist, before slowly and gently turning them around and placing her underneath him, meeting no resistance from her whatsoever. He sent her a small smile and stroked her cheek for a moment, before whispering gently to her.

"Let's find somewhere more comfortable."

She was out of breath at this point, and she could only nod up at him, as her chest rose and fell, slowly and heavily, from her exhaustion. He quickly brought one arm underneath her back, and another under her legs, before pulling her into his arms and carrying her to her to a nearby bedroom, something he assumed was Asuna's, since she didn't say anything.

Once they reached the bedroom, he slowly and gently laid her down on top of it, as if she would burst into nothing if he wasn't careful. He quickly climbed up over her, his hands on both sides of her head, and his legs between hers, using his knees to spread her legs so he could continue what they were doing.

The shy nervousness, and the fear of hurting his partner was now gone, and replaced with pure and intense lust. He took hold of her chest and earned a slight shiver from her, before he began to trace small gentle kisses on the sides of her mounts and around. The longer he got around them, the closer to the middle he would get.

When he finally reached the middle, he replaced the gentle kisses with lustful licks along her erect nipple, earning several yelps and loud moans from his partner, making her quiver all over. Her arms immediately shot up and wrapped around his neck, and she bent upwards in her back and abdomen to get even closer to him, and he took this as an invitation to slip inside her once again, her inner body wrapping around him immediately.

They both grunted quietly and he smiled as he lowered with her, laying against the mattress. The thrusting continued, every moment getting faster and harder, harder and faster, his whole body feeling like it was getting closer and closer to exploding.

"Kiss me again, Kazuto" Asuna pleaded, and Kazuto wasn't late to comply. He quickly faced her and locked his lips together with hers in heated passion, just as a ripple ran through his body, and a loud moan escaped Asuna's mouth.

"K-Kazuto… I-I.."

He nodded and grunted, knowing exactly what she meant.

"Me too… Come here"

He groaned quietly as he brought her closer and locked lips with her once more, before he suddenly picked up his pace, his thrusts fast and hard. His thrusts began to get desperate, and he hid his face in her neck to muffle his moans. They both collided against one another one last time, Kazuto as deep inside her as he thought possible, their pleasure to the maximum, both stunned in intense pleasure as they moaned against each other.

They soon collapsed onto the bed once again, and as exhausted as Kazuto was, wanting to just lay on top of his lover, he knew she was probably just as out of breath as he was, if not more.

He silently fell to the side and laid beside her, their breaths deep and heavy, sweat all over both of their bodies. Asuna gazed over at Kazuto with a tired smile. She seemed completely drained, much like him, and his lips curled into a small, yet exhausted, smile as well.

Her fingers soon crept over the sheets to find his hand, and he quickly reached out and linked his hand with hers, giving it a small squeeze. Asuna silently began nuzzling towards him, and as soon as they laid against one another, with Asuna's face in Kazuto's neck, she pulled the covers over them, their naked frames giving off exhausted heat to one another.

"Let's… Stay like this" She whispered in his ear, something that Kazuto in no way was against.

He nodded and hummed a quiet "Mhm", before he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into his being, making sure they were as close as they could possibly be.

She gazed into his eyes, feeling the exhaustion in her body being replaced with an indescribable happiness. This boy, which she had given the thing she could only give once, was someone she was sure she would be living with for a long time, possibly even as husband and wife someday.

Though for now, she would just enjoy his presence, and the fact that he was here. That was all she wanted right now.

She giggled quietly as she watched her lover's eyes slowly close, and smiled as his breathing became silent and calm, signaling that he was asleep.

She placed her lips against his cool and sweat-pearled forehead, before nuzzling against him and closing her eyes, letting the moonlight from outside hold the couple as she slipped off to slumber as well.

As the best night of their lives finally ending, a small, almost nonexistent tear of happiness, crept its way out in the corner of her eye.

"I love you, Kazuto Kirigaya"

 **A/N**

 **Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, everyone who decided to stick around.**

 **So yeah, last month I decided that it was finally time to move from amateur, to little less of an amateur, and try and write about a sexual encounter between characters.**

 **I felt it necessary to get to the next stage of writing for me, and I felt like it was a challenge for me, to try and overcome my own boundaries.**

 **And honestly, it was fun to write this chapter, so I hope you guys enjoyed.**

 **Anyway, hope you guys had a wonderful month, and I'll see you guys next time. Peace!**


	12. Chapter 12 - The Gang, Reunited

_Sword Art Online_

 _Forbidden Love_

 _Chapter 12 – The Gang, Reunited_

Yesterday's events were still fresh in Kazuto's mind as he blinked himself awake that morning. Not much light was in the room, and a quick gaze out of the window determined, that in contrast to the clear night sky of yesterday night, the sky outside was now grey and boring.

He tried raising his upper body to wake up, but was met with some resistance from his partner, who was peacefully slumbering beside him. He chuckled quietly and laid back down, deciding to stay with her a bit longer.

She was cute when she slept. But then again, he had always thought that she was cute. He swiped a bit of hair away from her face, receiving a peaceful smile and a small hum in return. He chuckled and kissed her cheek, before sitting up and pulling on his shirt and jeans.

He wasn't quite sure how he was going to get home to the mansion yet, let alone without being caught by Asuna's parents. But he was sure that he and Asuna could figure something out once she woke up.

He sighed silently and smiled a little as he walked out to the balcony, and leaned against the railing. The cold surface under his body and feet made a shiver run up his spine, though not even close to what he had felt the night before. And this wasn't any uncomfortable shiver either, it made a satisfied hum escape his lips.

When he was about to retreat back into the apartment and find something else to waste his time on, his phone suddenly rang in his pocket. It turned out to be Rika, who he had given his cellphone number on the night of the party.

"Hey Rika! What's up?" He asked sleepily as he answered the phone.

"Hey Kazuto! Been a while"

He could almost imagine how she would have her tomboyish grin on when she said that.

"So, I was wondering, are you at work this following weekend?"

He thought about it before smiling and shaking his head by habit.

"No, I don't think so" He said with a smile "Dearest Rika, you wouldn't be inviting me on a date, would you?"

He smirked quietly as he heard Rika yelp in surprise. He could almost feel the heat in her cheeks through the phone. They had always teased each other like that, ever since they were little. This was only natural for the two of them to do.

"H-Hmph, DREAM ON!" She yelled in frustration "No, I was wondering if you wanted to hang with me and some friends at Saturday? There's this new waterpark opening up in one of the neighboring towns!"

He smiled quietly and nodded to himself. The offer was certainly tempting, he had to admit. And he felt like having a break that did not contain of endless reading in the mansion's library for once.

"That sounds fun! Do I need to bring anything?"

"Well, besides maybe sunscreen and trunks, just you" Rika said excitedly "You remember Keiko right!? Our underclassman! She's coming too! And even Sachi!"

He widened his eyes at the mention of Sachi's name. It stung a bit at his consciousness. His memory was taken back to when he was maybe 14 or 15 years old. She had approached him that day, and asked if he would go out with her that following Saturday. It was something he had had a sneaking suspicion she would do. She was easy to read after all. But because of his lifestyle back then, he couldn't possibly let her get that close to him.

Not only would that let her get way too close to figuring out how his life had turned into its own little shitstorm, but it would eventually turn into a relationship where he'd constantly have to misguide and lie to Sachi, just to keep his secret safe. And he didn't want to subject her to such a thing. Never.

It had been a few years since then though, so she must have gotten over it since then, right…? Right…?

"T-That sounds like fun Rika!" he said with a bit of nervousness.

"Yeah, you can bring your sister too if you want! We'll have one big group trip, It'll be fun!"

"Sounds good. Let me just try and call her and see if she can"

"Good! I'll see you then!"

"See ya…"

As soon as Rika hung up, it felt like a huge weight had been put on my shoulders, and nervousness began to take over.

"Who was that hun?"

Asuna was suddenly standing behind him, the sheets curled around her body, as she hugged him from behind. He smiled a little and looked back at her from over his shoulder.

"Oh, no one…"

~That following Weekend~

Kazuto sighed, though with a smile, as he spotted the minivan at the parking spot outside the mansion. AS much as he was nervous to see Sachi again, it was going to be nice to have a nice day out like this, with everyone again. There was a lot of catching up to do, and Kazuto was excited.

He tossed his supply bag over his shoulder, which contained sunglasses, sun screen, a towel and trunks, and took a deep breath, before smiling back at Asuna as she saw him off at the door.

"Don't have too much fun now" She said with a small giggle.

"Of course not" He smiled a bit and leaned forward, before planting a small kiss on her cheek "I'll see you later okay?"

She nodded and blushed, and as Kazuto opened the door, he heard a booming voice behind him from up the winding staircases. It seemed that Mr. and Mrs. Yuuki wanted to see him off as well. If he had hesitated with that cheek kiss for even a second… He shivered at the thought.

"Have a good trip, my boy!" Mr. Yuuki said with another laugh.

Kazuto nodded and smiled back at him, before giving them a little wave and stepping outside, slowly closing the heavy door behind him. He took another deep breath, before waving at the others as they waited for him at the minivan. He gulped down his spit and stepped down the main stairs, before approaching the minivan with a small smile, as Rika's older friend lowering the window in her side.

"Hey Kazuto!" She smirked before reaching out her fist, bumping it with Kazuto "Are you ready!?"

"Pretty much" He said with a chuckle, looking around nervously "Where's Sachi?" He asked softly.

"We're picking her up next" Rika said with a smile "Get in the back!"

"Wow, it sounds like you're abducting me now" He said with a laugh.

He opened the trunk and threw his bag in the back, before jumping and closing the sliding door behind him.

"Isn't Suguha coming with?" Rika asked from the most front seat, sitting beside Ryoutarou, who had agreed to act as our chauffeur for the trip.

"No, I'm afraid not" Kazuto said with a sigh "She's too busy with work so she asked me to have as much fun as possible, for the both of us"

"Wait, she has a job?!" Rika shouted in surprise "Since when!?"

Kazuto realized he has said too much and clapped a hand over his own mouth on instinct.

"U-Uhh, I'll tell you some other time" He mumbled softly "Right now, let's focus on picking up Sachi and Keiko"

She glared at him and sighed before sitting properly in her seat and facing forward. Kazuto could have sworn he heard her mumble something under her breath.

"You and your secrets…"

~Later, at Sachi's house~

Kazuto gulped down nervously, his gaze casted downwards. He had no idea how he would face Sachi, but at the same time, he also knew it was something he couldn't get around. His heart was pumping faster and faster as every second went by. One thing he was wondering, is if Sachi actually knew that he would be there? And if that was the case, were she as nervous as he was?

"Yo, Rika" He said silently as he looked at the girl in the seat in front of me "Does Sachi know that I'm here?"

"Well, nope" She said with a smirk "I kinda wanted to make this a surprise for her. Are you nervous?"

"Just a little…" He mumbled as he scratched his neck "It has been a while…"

"I guess it has. Hey, don't worry. She'll be ecstatic" Rika said with a chuckle "Hey, there she is now!"

He breathed in sharply from surprise as he looked up. There she was. Sachi was walking out of her front door with a small smile, a few boys filing out behind her. She was just as cute and beautiful as he remembered. Wait, what the hell is he thinking!? He has Asuna now! He slapped his cheeks a few times to get himself back to reality, and as Sachi and the others approached, he opened the door and stepped out.

Sachi gasped quietly, and Kazuto gulped as he waited for her reaction. How would she react?

"K-Kazuto!?" Sachi mumbled surprised as she stepped up to him with a smile "How have you been!? It's been a while!"

His eyes widened and he blushed as Sachi's arms were suddenly around him in a tight hug, but he just chuckled and hugged her back, just happy to see his childhood friend. The nervousness he had felt up to that point was immediately gone, whisked away by her hug and the scent of her hair. It hadn't changed at all.

At this thought he felt the guilt once again and he pulled away, making Sachi let go with a small smile.

"Since when were you back?" She asked with a smile.

"A couple of months" he admitted with a scratch of his neck "I'm sorry I didn't say anything… There was circumstances"

She nodded silently and smiled a little as she let her gaze fall from shyness.

"It's okay. I'm just happy you're coming with us" She said quietly, before they sat back in the car.

"Is everyone aboard?" Ryoutarou said with a smirk.

Kazuto chuckled quietly. He was sure Ryoutarou only had agreed to go since he wanted to come with them into the water park. Not that he was forbidden to or anything, but why even make up an excuse in the first place?

"Yeah, everyone's ready" He said, glancing over at Sachi who just blushed and looked away with a shy smile "Let's go! Full throttle!"

~A moment later, Keiko's house~

"Bye mom! I'll be back soon!"

Keiko's smile widened as she laid her eyes on Kazuto. She yelped and ran up to him before giving him a tight hug.

"It's good to see you too, Keiko!" he said with a laugh "I thought Rika had told you I was back!"

"She did, but…" She said with a blush "It's just been a long time since I've seen you last time"

"That's definitely true" He said with a smile, just as everyone stepped out as the last member was assembled.

"The whole gang is back in action" Rika said with a delighted smirk.

"I'm having a hard time believing we're all together again" Kazuto admitted with a small sigh "It's good to be back"

Sachi nodded quietly at this, looking down at the ground.

"It's not been the same without you Kazuto" she mumbled silently "It feels great to have you back"

"And I'm not leaving ever again" he said softly "Never."

"Good. Now that we're done with all the sappy stuff, let's go have fun!" Rika said, them all fistpumping in excitement.

"YEAH!"

~Later, at the water park~

Kazuto smiled silently and took a deep breath as he stepped out of the changing room. As Sachi saw him, she ran over and half-hid behind his back in fear of the huge waterslides.

"Y-You can't be serious…" She mumbled silently as she stared up at one of the biggest slides.

It was a large slide, where you were supposed to be two passengers in a ring. When you exited the tube, you would land in an open round space, where you would circle around a hole in the middle, until you would slide down it and shoot out at the bottom. Sachi seemed terrified of the experience.

"I doubt I'll ever get up in that" She mumbled silently, her squeeze at his arm tightening.

"You don't have to either" he said with a chuckle "We can try the tsunami instead!"

"YOU WOULDN'T DARE!"

He couldn't help but laugh at her tone of voice. Never before had she actually raised her voice, but instead of surprise, he just found it extremely hilarious.

As for why she was afraid, the Tsunami was widely known for it's several tens of feet drop in the tube, a drop that would happen in a sudden turn, so it would always take the rider by surprise. Rika even told us that a guy had gotten a heart attack while riding it, though knowing Rika, it might as well have been BS.

"Why the hell not?" He asked, teasing her even further "I'm sure it won't hurt… Much…"

She glared up at him and pouted.

"If you don't stop, I'll make Rika drop kick you" She mumbled as she pouted.

"Who's talking about me?" Rika was suddenly standing behind him and placing a hand on his shoulder.

A scared shiver ran down his spine, and he turned around to look at her, his scare disappearing once he saw her. He had to try and focus to not stare at her body. Her swimsuit was fitting all of her curves, ahd she looked up at him with an oddly flirting flicker of her eyelashes.

"What?" She asked with an adorable giggle.

"N-Nothing. Just my friend scaring the crap out of me" he mumbled with a pout, trying to disguise his real thoughts "Do you have nothing better to do?!"

"Of course. I have like a million slides to try!" She said with a smirk "And you're gonna try them all with me!"

"You are NOT getting me up in the Tsunami!" he protested with a laugh "Anything else is a go!"

"You have no damn say in the matter!" She laughed as she tugged at his arm "Come on!"

He was dragged away at max speed and had to quickly wave goodbye to Sachi as they parted from her, leaving her behind at the changing rooms. She giggled a bit as she watched them leave, Keiko walking up to her with a smile.

"Rika might have been the one missing Kazuto the most" Sachi said quietly "Do you remember how she was out searching for him days after he disappeared?"

Keiko nodded quietly and sighed.

"I'm a bit worried that he won't tell why he disappeared" She mumbled, a small frown appearing on her features "Though I am sure he'll tell when he's ready"

Sachi nodded with a little smile.

"I heard what had happened to him in the meantime though" Sachi said with a smile "I'm happy that both he and his sister got such good jobs"

"That's right" Keiko said "He's been lucky lately"

"It's just…" Sachi hesitated a bit "I wish he would tell us why he disappeared. Does he not trust us or something?"

"I-I don't think that's it!" Keiko said, resolve in her voice "I'm sure he's just really insecure about it. I don't think it's about us!"

"Well, whatever it is…" Sachi mumbled, turning to the slides to watch Rika and Kazuto run up the stairs to one of the taller slides "I hope he'll tell us soon…"


	13. Chapter 13 - Waterslides

_Sword Art Online_

 _A Forbidden Love_

 _Chapter 13 - Waterslides_

"U-Uhh, Rika, are you sure this is a good idea!?"

He could feel his gut coil around itself as he stared down the almost straight down drop on the slide, and looked back at Rika unsurely, who were just wearing her trademark goofy grin.

"Why Kazuto, have I ever gone back on my word!?"

Her smirk only grew a bit wider as she gave him a light push towards the start of the slide.

"N-No but this is just insane… I feel like throwing up…"

And it wasn't a joke. His heart felt like it was trying to jump out of his chest as he approached the looming structure, the calm water at the start doing very little to calm him down.

"Too bad!" Rika thoroughly enjoyed this, he could tell "We're gonna be doing this, and it is happening right now!"

"Urgh, fine!" He growled and tried to assemble his resolve before he stepped up to the podium, and waited for the green light to shine, signaling it was time for him to go. Every second felt like an hour, and his heartbeat kept ringing in his ears.

His feet suddenly left the ground with what felt like machine-like automation as he jumped into the waterslide tube, trying to keep back a scream as the torrent of emotion and feeling ran through his entire body. Everything in the tube was dark, and he couldn't see anything at all. The slide suddenly dipped into a turn and he could no longer keep back his scream, no doubt in his mind that the desperate yell could be heard all the way back from where he came.

Then suddenly, the nightmare was over.

He realized that he had landed in the pool at the end of the ride, and he looked around befuddled. He had been unable to tell whether he was sitting upside down or not at times, and to finally feel actual ground beneath his feet was a relief beyond all other relieves.

He stepped out of the pool, his body still getting used to regular gravity and speed, as Rika came bursting out into the end pool as well, a loud laughter emanating from her as if she was having the time of her life. She was still laughing and smirking as she stepped out of the pool, stepping over to Kazuto.

"Now was that so bad?" she asked teasingly, her body still dripping from the water.

"I will officially deny any sort of relation to you whatsoever from this moment onward"

This made her laugh beyond believe, holding her stomach as she doubled over.

"Come on Kazuto, someone had to make you do it!"

"And if it had been someone else, I had still disowned them"

He was still talking in the same dry tone as the two of them went back to the group, who was still waiting for them by the entrance to the park.

"Jesus Kazuto…" Ryoutarou mumbled as he saw him "you look like a zombie…"

"Don't even question it" Rika laughed "He might have just survived a trip on the Tsunami"

"Something told me that that ride was nothing but trouble" Sachi mumbled silently "Did you seriously have to do that, Rika?"

"of course she did" Ryoutarou chuckled "Situations like these are what makes the best memories after all"

"literally scarring your friends for life is good memories for you?" Keiko asked with a raised eyebrow "What sort of sadistic sort am I hanging out with?"

"N-No, that's not what I…"

Ryoutarou hesitated, and everyone but Kazuto, who was still standing there zombified, laughed loudly as all stress or fears left their minds, leaving them to have the best time of their lives.

* * *

Back at the mansion, Asuna walked through the halls, a constant red hue over her cheeks as she reminisced on the memories from the night before. Her heartbeat would accelerate whenever she thought back to Kazuto's embrace and his voice in her ear. Despite the alcohol the both of them had indulged in leading up to that moment, her mind and thoughts could never have been clearer than the moment she made that decision.

The decision to let him make her his.

She smiled and walked into the library, hoping to make the time fly until she could see him again by reading a good book.

She had quickly realized after Kazuto's departure that she all of a sudden was unable to stay away from him for very long. It had only been a short hour and a half since he left the mansion grounds, and she were already aching to see him walk back in through those heavy oak doors.

As if his embrace yesterday had robbed her of what little independence she needed in the giant mansion where she could literally get whatever she needed by snapping her finger.

Hoping that a book would help her distract herself, she grabbed a random book off of one of the bookshelves, and sat by the fireplace like she had a habit of doing whenever her mind was occupied. She quickly set fire to the logs in the fireplace, hoping for a warm and gentle atmosphere to help ease her mind.

As she sat there, in her relaxed daydream however, a thought crossed her mind. One that she would have preferred to forget all about, but also one that she knew that she eventually had to confront and find an answer to.

What will happen now that she and Kazuto had this relationship?

They may only have been a couple for less than 24 hours but she was fully committed to make this relationship work. She loved him with all her heart and soul, of that much she was certain. But there was just one technical problem in the cogs of the machine she called life.

Her parent's plans to find her a suitor.

She had always insisted that she could make her own choice of who to love and not to love towards her parents, but neither insistence, nor argument had helped any in the endeavor. In the end, her parents remained the same stubborn mules that they had always been when it came to such things, especially since her choice of man could very well influence her family's wellbeing and survival in the far future.

It was a heavy responsibility to put on the shoulders of such a young girl, only very recently having become an adult, in both senses of the word. She only recently turned 18, and with it apparently came all sorts of responsibilities.

Her mind was pulled from her issue as she heard a low noise outside, muffled by the door to the library. Straining her ears to hear everything, her face steeled as she listened to what sounded like her parents talking outside.

"How did it go dear?"

That was her mother's voice.

"It went well. He was very understanding of our daughters wishes"

'He? Another suitor no doubt' Asuna thought, a scornful frown on her brow.

"What was his name again? Nobu something right?"

Already at this point, Asuna's skin began to crawl, and her fingers dug into the hard darkwood of the leaning chair she was sitting in, her knuckles turning white from fear.

They couldn't possibly be talking about-!

"Nobuyuki. Apparently he owns a larger electricity company with powerplants all over the world. Besides that, he owns several gaming companies and even has his hands in the pocket of the oil industry"

'Are you kidding me!?'

She had to bite down on her lip, almost drawing blood, in order not to scream out loud from despair.

"The oil industry? But oil is so out washed already, you can barely even call it an industry anymore" Ms. Yuuki said with a tinge of disappointment in her voice.

"That is why he plans to sell his stocks and put them into gaming instead" Mr. Nobuyuki said with a hearty chuckle "Don't you worry dear. He seems respectful, and has his money in the right place"

Was that what this was all about!? They cared not of her happiness, but more about their own wallets!? She thought she had made such great progress with her mother. She had told herself not to get too high hopes, but a step in the right direction had apparently been enough to send her into a high of excitement and hope that she had never felt in regards to her and her mother's relationship, and especially the relationship between Yui and her mother.

That had apparently all been thrown on the floor, tossed away like trash, in order for the Yuuki family to get back inside the warmth of expensive jewelry and candlelit dinners around large tables and overhanging chandeliers.

She would rather sacrifice all of that, and live on the street, than having to marry a slimeball like Nobuyuki.

Her parents might think he was a law abiding citizen, but she knew perfectly well just what sort of tactics he was ready to go through to get his way. He had been so dumb as to tell her himself.

Sadly he had contacts, and his hands were in the pockets of a lot of powerful people.

If she told anyone anything, there would be hell and high water to pay.

She clenched her fists and grit her teeth as her parent's voices seemed to fade outside the room. Up until now, she had hoped that he had finally given up on her. That he had realized she would never agree to being his fiancé, much less his wife.

Now he had apparently come back just to torment her a little more.

She began to cry as the book she had been reading fell to the floor with a heavy and empty thud. Her whole body quaked, a coldness running over her body that quickly replaced the warmth and happiness that had been with her since the night before.

"Urgh… like hell am I going to let him invade my family like this!" She said, a sudden anger exploding in her chest "I'll open my parents' eyes to the truth, and expose him for the rat he is!"

She growled and picked the book back up, and slammed it closed, her anger acting as fuel for her determination.

No way was he going to get his way. For once, she would show him that the world wasn't made for his benefit and wellbeing.

For once, she would make sure that he understood that actions have consequences.

And she was going to make sure she was the one putting him in prison.

* * *

Kazuto sighed softly in relaxation as he lied idly in the pool, the cool water keeping one side cold, while the sun kept the other side warm and cozy. It was a weird mix of a relaxing warmth, and a jolting cold that kept him from snoozing away.

He gazed up in the sky, a familiar sense of warmth running over him as his mind wandered to the night before. It had been so passionate, heated, that they hadn't even noticed the fact that the floor wasn't being heated from the last time the family had visited the suite.

He remembered Asuna's touch, the feeling of her skin against his own as they made love. Her breath against his ear as she told him she loved him. The memory of the fact still made his body shudder.

His daydream refrained him from noticing the shadow passing over him in the water, and when he finally looked up, he realized it was too late.

Rika, Ryoutarou and Keiko was standing over him, smirking each their own amused smirk. He barely managed to curse at himself for giving them this opportunity, before his body was pushed underneath the water, and his assailants ran away with loud laughs and giggles.

He smirked and fought back up over the surface, before giving chase, the water dripping off his body.

"Dammit all! GET BACK HERE!"

He ran after his three water assailants as quickly as he could, but as he rounded the corner of the changing room, he realized that the three friends of his were nowhere to be seen. Somehow, despite the wet and slightly slippery floor of the waterpark, they had managed to slip away from him without being caught.

As he sighed, he spotted Sachi approaching him in the corner of his vision.

"Hey Sachi" He smiled softly "Doing okay?"

"Yeah, nice and relaxed" She smiled back "How come you're just standing there?"

He sighed exasperatedly as he looked around in defeat.

"Three of the people I used to call friends kind of dunked me in the pool" he chuckled, turning back to face Sachi "Anyway, walk with me? I need to go get my phone"

"Sure"

The air almost oozed with awkwardness as the odd pair moved back towards the changing rooms, where Kazuto had forgotten his phone with the rest of his items. It struck him that it was weird he had forgotten his phone in the first place.

They didn't talk much on the way there, and what little they said was idle small talk that would make anyone question just why it was even spoken in the first place. Such things as how nice the weather had been lately.

He had always hated small talk, but this situation was even more awkward than any other social interaction. He had almost expected that his interactions with the associates in the mansion had taught him at least a little bit about what to talk about when you had _nothing_ to talk about.

They soon fell silent and suddenly, the otherwise short walk back to the changing rooms felt awkwardly long. He felt like he should ask her how she had been, but that would inevitably turn the question around towards him once she was done talking about what she had been doing the few years they had been apart.

When they finally arrived at the door of the changing room, he turned to Sachi with an awkward smile.

"Uh, please excuse me"

She looked up at him, a confused frown on her features, before she noticed the male sign on the door, and suddenly realized that she was in fact _not_ supposed to follow him inside the male changing room.

A blush suddenly exploded on her face and she nodded stiffly, barely even able to form the sentence she was trying to say.

"O-O-Of course! T-Take your time!"

He stepped inside and closed the door behind him, cursing his ineffective effort to talk to his old childhood friend.

As he approached the locker he had put his stuff in, and worked on getting the band keeping the key to his ankle off, he noticed that his phone was blinking from inside the locker, a bright white light shining through the front holes of the locker door.

He bit his lip in excitement and casually began unlocking his locker, the blinking undoubtedly caused by Asuna having texted him again. She had been messaging him in the car on the way to the water park, text messages with sweet nothings and subtle flirting having sent his heart racing the whole way there.

The small window containing the message on the opening screen send a chill down his spine though:

" _We need to talk. Now. "_

 **A/N**

 **Holy Crap guys, Dragondemolition has finally updated this story! It only took a year too, haha.**

 **Anyway guys, jokes aside, I am so sorry it took so long for me to update this story, and then it's with a half assed attempt like this one. But I felt like finally updating would be a good way to get past the f*cking writers block that apparently keep coming back to bite me in the ass!**

 **Anyway, I hope you guys are as excited for this update as I was when I finally managed to get it done, and I hope to update it a lot more in the future, I promise.**

 **Anyway, you know the whole charade by now. Leave a review and your thoughts on the chapter down below or shoot me a PM, and I'll see you guys next time.**

 **PS: HOLY CRAP HAVE I MISSED YOU! Love ya! 3**


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